Guyana Times 28 August, 2018

Guyana Times journalists shine at GPA awards P16

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Issue No. 3669

PRICE

Local Govt Commission

WHAT'S INSIDE:

PNCR executive should resign as Chairman – former Minister

...cites conflict of interest

$80 vat included

Jagdeo, Granger to meet this week on Top Cop’s P10 appointment

Page 3

GDF rank gun-butted, robbed

Teen found guilty of killing East P15 Canje “bad” man

Page 2

Better wages strike

Teachers protest in front of President’s office

City Hall removes more bus parks

P2

GWI in talks with Finance Ministry to establish mini labs

…as major lab receives certification P14

…Union unlikely to meet for conciliation talks today …CPCE students on standby – Minister Pages 9&16 During the first day of strike action planned by the Guyana Teachers' Union, teachers on Monday battled through the scorching sun, protesting in front of the Ministry of the Presidency, on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, demanding better wages and working conditions

Murdered 3-year-old died from stab wound to the heart Page 7

…CC&PA claims 3 visits made to family

Minibus fare increase another burden – FITUG Page 14

Emotions flare as ex-soldier jailed for P8 killing friend

Guyana Goldfields to lay off Greenfield P15 workers ‒ rehiring to be based only on transferable skills

2 news

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

City Hall removes more bus parks T he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has removed more minibus parks to accommodate vendors of the Stabroek Market Wharf, which collapsed a few weeks ago.

Guyana Times understands the Route 41 (Stabroek to South) and 46 (Durban, Lodge) minibuses were greeted to a barricaded park when they turned up to work.

The drivers argued that they were never served a notice nor were they consulted.

Odel Thom, a conductor, who operates in the South park told Guyana Times on Monday that the move by City Hall will cause financial difficulties for operators.

“Right now we losing.

Bus transportation, it really inconveniencing. First

A section of the cordoned bus park

thing, it ain’t even got park to park up hay suh. Watch de parking spot, watch. All this hay suh is different bus.

It got 41 bus, Forty-six. It’s really inconveniencing and

how they so disrespectful they ain’t even inform us as drivers you understand.

Remember people got to go to work, people got to go home from children got to

go to school (in the next few days), things got to buy you understand meh and them just come jus suh. At least we wudda glad if they wudda tell we something. Call we before or make a place proper for we park, cause watch hay is bare corruption,” an irate Thom said.

He also complained that the traffic is congested in the area, since drivers are now operating just beside the barricades placed by M&CC. Another operator, Jamal Simon, said, “All they got to do is inform people in how they does do things. You do things jus so drastic like fuss. If they inform people ‘today you gun be inconvenienced for certain thing’ everybody would be more better. They need to be more responsible… remember now everybody ain’t got the luxury to get car and them thing. They gah be more respectable to people them on de road.”

Solomon (only name given), a driver who plies his trade via the GuyhocStabroek route said the park was blocked off since last week. He added that the M&CC should have found a suitable place to relocate the bus drivers, since

the area is already crowded.

City Hall first removed the route 42 (DiamondGrove) minibuses earlier in August.

They were later placed at Bugle Street, Georgetown where drivers complained about their safety.

The Timehri buses, also of the 42-zone, were later removed and placed on High Street, where they also complained about their safety.

President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews has since said he views City Hall’s move as “visionless” and “ridiculous”.

“I think it was ridiculous. I think it is visionless… it is either corruption, mismanagement, thoughtlessness and probably not feelings for anybody but themselves,” he stated.

Several attempts made by this newspaper to contact the authorities at City Hall were unsuccessful.

GDF rank gun-butted, robbed

A

n 18-year-old member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was on Saturday morning gun-butted and robbed at about 01:30h, as he was making his way from a birthday party in Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Gershon Sproston of Kuru Kururu was returning home when he was attacked by a lone gunman from behind, who struck him several times to his head with a gun before carting off with two cellular phones valued $50,000.

A report was later made to the Kuru Kururu Police Outpost where investigations are said to be ongoing.

The teenager was later accompanied to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre by his mother, Phyllis Sproston, where he was treated and sent away.

Sproston’s brothers, Judah and Jahrael, related to Guyana Times that

Robbed: Gershon Sproston

he was later taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital after his head began to swell and he was experiencing pain. Just last week, Glen Ramdass was attacked by two gunmen at his Lot 33 Kuru Kururu home. The gunmen escaped with noth-

ing after the man managed to raise an alarm.

Earlier this month, at about 04:30h, the lifeless body of 46-year-old legal clerk Gregory Frank, also called “Wayne”, was found lying face down in a pool of blood in the sitting room of his home at Lot 686 Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

The man was suspected to have been killed during a robbery.

A post-mortem examination performed on the body of Frank determined that the man died as a result of asphyxiation due to compression injury to the neck compounded by blunt trauma to the head.

Residents of Kuru Kururu have expressed concern due to the increased number of crimes in the area; as such, a call has been made for more frequent Police patrols in the evening.

news

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BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, August 28 – 05:00h-06:30h and Wednesday, August 29 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, August 28 – 05:20h-06:50h and Wednesday, August 29 – 06:00h-07:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, with clear skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Southerly to East North-easterly and Northeasterly to Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 05:32h and 17:50h reaching maximum heights of 2.69 metres and 2.66 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:26h and 23:41h reaching minimum heights of 0.54 metre and 0.53 metre respectively.

Local Govt Commission

PNCR executive should resign as Chairman – former Minister

...cites conflict of interest

T

he election of Chairman of the Local Government Commission (LGC), Mortimer Mingo, to the executive of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) last week, is not sitting well with Opposition members, who see this move as a conflict of interest.

In an interview with Guyana Times, former Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud pointed out the importance of the Chairman being as unbiased towards a particular party as possible.

“It is clear now that as a central committee member of the PNC, he’s in

Former Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud

you to act impartially, without influence or bias. And I’m not sure, being in the executive of the PNC that

“It will have serious conflict of interest and it can cause the commission to act on the direction of the PNC and the PNC council.

I think that the decent thing for him to do would be to give up on one, because they conflict” – former Minister

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the decision-making body of that party and obviously when the issue of Local Government comes up on that agenda of that party’s deliberation at the central level, then he will have opinions and views influenced by information to which he was privileged, being Chairman of the Local Government Commission,” Persaud said.

“So I think, right away, that the information resources at the Local Government Commission will be compromised by the chair being an executive member of PNC. Because that is not like being a party member… party member is different from being in the leadership of your party.”

Persaud expressed concerns that because of this conflict of interest, the Commission’s interests may be subsumed with those of the PNC party.

Considering the scope of the Commission’s power, including disciplining local politicians, Ganga noted the need for Mingo to choose.

“It will have serious conflict of interest and it can cause the Commission to act on the direction of the PNC and the PNC council. I think that the decent thing for him to do would be to give up on one, because they conflict.”

“The Commission is not just any other organisation.

The Commission requires

will help his quest to be fair and transparent.”

The Commission is charged with, among other things, control over who gets appointed as officials in the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and other local authorities. In addition, it would have to approve budgets for the NDCs. By law, the Commission

is to be made up of eight members. The members of the Commission include four nominated from the Government, one from the unions and three nominees from the Leader of the Opposition.

The Commission was sworn in last year October, after a lengthy delay. The parliamentary Opposition had named its nominees to the Local Government Commission since 2016.

However, since the Government did not submit its nominees, this resulted in a deadlock.

The Commission’s members are Chairman, Mortimer Mingo; Clement Corlette; Marlon Williams; Jo Ann Romascindo; Andrew Garnett; former Local Government Ministers Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore; and former Georgetown Town Clerk, Carol Sooba.

There are a number of controversies in the Local Government system, which

Local Government Commission Chairman and PNC executive, Mortimer Mingo

have been in the public domain for some time. One such issue includes previous reports that in some Local Authority Areas, officials are being appointed without any vacancy being advertised. In addition, there have been reports that young, qualified applicants are being overlooked in favour of others.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

GPL woes O

ver the past few months, the complaints coming from various sections of the population, including private citizens and business, about constant power outages have increased dramatically. In fact, recently there have been several letters to the editor where persons expressed their frustration over prolonged periods of blackouts in their communities with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) doing very little to assuage the concerns of residents.

Businesses especially in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) have also been very vocal about the huge negative impact the prolonged periods of blackouts have had on their operations. However, officials of the power company have done very little to convince the populace that serious efforts are being made to bring a lasting solution to the power woes the country has been experiencing over the years; they have been giving one excuse after the other which does not help in any way.

Last week, frustrated members of the Business Community from Region Two met with the Essequibo Chambers of Commerce, where they vented their anger at the constant and prolonged power outages on the Essequibo Coast. With the northern side of the Essequibo Coast hardest hit, the businessmen pointed to the plight of residents in Charity, who have suffered greatly. They related that a number of businesses suffered tremendous losses as a direct result of the blackouts and questioned whether the company was willing to provide compensation for their suffering and losses.

Several persons have also complained that recent power outages have resulted in a number of electrical appliances being damaged. Unfortunately, this has been the experience of many consumers and has been so for many years. There is no clear policy in relation to compensation for consumers/ businesses who suffer losses due to voltage surges etc; or even if there is such, it is not being implemented in a transparent and professional manner. Many persons have claimed that in such situations GPL officials would show an uncaring and unhelpful attitude when they are approached for assistance.

While it is not our intention to sound like a pessimist, from the way it looks, ‘blackouts’ will remain with us for a very long time. Despite the promises from both the previous and present governments, that ‘blackouts’ will be “a thing of the past”, the nation is yet to see any measurable progress in relation to an affordable and reliable service to consumers.

Very little has changed under this administration who used every opportunity while in opposition to criticize the previous government in relation to the manner in which the electricity sector was being managed.

GPL had previously announced that billions would be spent by the company towards the construction of new substations. The company had explained that this formed part of G$6.6 billion that had been set aside for works to improve service delivery of the company; G$3 billion for the new substations and G$1.4 billion for renovation works to existing substations. This and other interventions were meant to contribute to the company offering a more stable electricity supply to consumers, however for the first quarter of 2018, it seems as if the service has actually deteriorated.

That said, we are not oblivious to the many problems being experienced by the power company. These problems which include line losses and electricity theft have been known for decades and have certainly had a tremendous impact on the company’s ability to provide better services to Guyanese consumers. The extent of electricity theft is shocking and GPL must continue to tackle the issue frontally.

Once such issues are addressed the company would be in a better position to perform better.

After investing so many billions, in this day and age, these constant power outages are unacceptable. In addition to being a huge discomfort to citizens they discourage investors who have an interest in doing business here. The authorities must stop making excuses and find a solution to the problem once and for all.

Former Miss Moruca, Andrea Marslowe demonstrates her archery skills at the 15th Annual Moruca Expo over the weekend in Region One (Barima-Waini)

Some are uninterested in social cohesion

Dear Editor, Social cohesion is always an elusive element in our country, primarily because it is not the will of our politicians who believe in the ‘divide and rule’ principle.

Being in Government is the biggest business, and nasty politicians can sell their own maternal and paternal affiliations to gain a share in that pursuit.

I must commend the effort of our President, His Excellency David Granger, for his brave attempt to bring the Emancipation Celebration to Region 6 at Union Village, which saw the attendance of people from various races and ethnicities attending in their numbers. In fact I saw our East Indian brothers and sisters fully decked in African wear, which sends a clear message that cultural and social cohesion are possible, but it must start with our politicians.

However, what I have

been witnessing on the television in Berbice has convinced me that the Alliance for Change, especially one particular Minister and his cohorts, are uninterested in social cohesion and are leaving no stone unturned in blasting this concept to smithereens, not by using weapons of mass destruction, but by sheer hate and personal attacks. I have read with interest the rantings and ravings of the Quixotic character who unfortunately resides in Region 5 and was shocked when this was the first caller who, through in the AFC’s program, ‘Alliance on the Move,’ was given free air time to continue his vitriolic and personal attacks on the PM’s Representative, Mr Gobin Harbhajan. Is this how the AFC intends to be ‘on the Move’?

It is evident that the leader of the party, Mr Raphael Trotman, has allowed someone near to him to hijack the party and hold it captive

while it is being ravished and mercilessly raped by his unconscionable, barbaric and uncouth cohorts who are so deficient in basic decorum. I had never expected that the AFC would have descended to the depths of the cesspool. The stench emanating is now unbearable.

Furthermore, these TV ‘stars’ have been making unrealistic promises to the residents, so that I need to ask which ministry these guys represent? They are making statements pertaining to agriculture, public infrastructure and public security, which I have not heard coming from the relevant ministry.

Can Mr Trotman please answer me? These AFC fakes believe that they could even hold the residents in Berbice as captives to their falsehood and fabrication.

Why are these persons given the tacit acquiescence of the Minister to destroy the Coalition? These TV ‘personalities’ are destroying the

work of the Social Cohesion Ministry, and I do feel Minister Ally should bring pressure to bear on these AFC Region 6 officials and members for bringing the efforts of her ministry to zero.

Finally, one cannot help but notice that the presenters on ‘the Alliance on the Move’ programme are of one race and ethnicity, so where are the others, are they selectively excluded? I knew that once upon a time the AFC boasted multi-ethnicity and race, but it seems that principle has also been thrown under the bus. More so, I could not help but notice that the reputation of these mercenaries leaves much to be desired, and this will further destroy the remnants of respectability of the AFC. Mr Trotman needs to move quickly and decisively to save some face at least.

Yours sincerely, Desmond Thompson Former Teacher

Guyana cannot afford this folly Dear Editor, Our Honourable Prime Minister, writing in his weekly column in the state-owned newspaper on Sunday, 26th August, made the Government’s case for the establishment of a homestead for Venezuelan

refugees on humanitarian grounds.

Editor, the PM makes and defeats many straw men in his column, which leaves those of us who really care about our country to ask the obvious questions: Can we help people seeking

to escape a failed welfare state by creating a welfare homestead for them? Can we afford to provide welfare for foreigners, seeing how little we make available to our own citizens in need? Who owns the land in Region 1 identified for ‘pur-

chase’? How much money has been allocated to this ad hoc humanitarian project? What are the national security implications of a Venezuelan homestead in Essequibo?

Continued on page 4

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Mortimer Mingo should How does a foreigner know about the security plan being “rolled resign from LGC out at a slow pace”? (Pt 2) Dear Editor, The chairman of any constitutional service commission should possess the following qualities: 1. Be able to uphold the integrity and independence of that commission 2. Be able to perform the duties of the office fairly, impartially and diligently 3. Be able to refrain from political activity.

To be more specific, and in step with the spirit of the Constitution, a Chairman of any of the constitutional service commissions should not: • act as a leader or hold any office in a political organisation; • make speeches for a political organisation or candidate, or publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office; or • solicit funds for, pay

an assessment to, or make a contribution to a political organisation or candidate; or attend or purchase a ticket for a dinner or other event sponsored by a political organisation or candidate.

If such a situation arises, then such a chairman must resign and vacate their office forthwith in order to protect the integrity of that constitutional service commission.

As Head of the Local Government Commission, whose main function is to deal with all matters relating to the local government system, Mr Mortimer Mingo is expected to be free of party affiliation, and is certainly expected not to hold a leadership position in a political party if the perception is to be preserved that he is independent, without bias, and is fit to carry out

his functions professionally and objectively.

In this regard, I am calling upon Mr Mingo to immediately resign and immediately vacate the office of the Chairman of the Local Government Commission.

Why? He was elected to the executive of the People’s National Congress Reform at its August 2018 Congress. His engagement in such public political activity prevents him from being a fair actor on the Local Government Commission.

You cannot be the regulator and the regulated at the same time.

This situation will be the test of Mr Mingo’s integrity, and by extension his appointer, His Excellency President David Granger.

Sincerely, Sasenarine Singh

Guyana cannot afford...

Editor, the PM tells many tales to illustrate that Guyanese have at times claimed, and been granted, refugee status in foreign countries during the time of PNC rule. This is true, but at no time were Guyanese ever granted a homestead in any country; Guyanese emigrated and worked in every imaginable field of endeavour. Should the Government of Guyana wish to ease requirements for work permits for Venezuelans, they would have my support, but not welfare while teachers, nurses and law enforcement remain grossly underpaid.

The biggest surprise of this ‘Homestead Initiative’ is the naivety of a Government led by a former Brigadier of the Guyana

Defence Force to think that a Venezuelan Homestead in Essequibo (territory claimed

by Venezuela) does not pose a grave threat to our territorial integrity.

What happens when (not if) a Venezuelan citizen claims mistreatment? When they refuse repatriation and seek legal representation?

What happens when the hope of welfare leads to an overwhelming flood of immigrants crossing the border?

What happens when one million people pour into the country?

Will our meagre law enforcement resources be enough to handle them? Will our GDF ranks load themselves into their 30 new Chinese buses and race to reinforce the border crossing?

From page 4

The PM and the APNU + AFC Administration would be better off with serious discussion and consideration of the very real scenarios as posited above, instead of the inane public relations missives such as the PM’s My Turn.

We cannot hold out false hope for people; Guyana cannot afford this folly, it can only end badly for us.

We must accept that our capabilities do not match all the good intentions we have towards our neighbours, and as Peter Tosh sang, “Sorry fi Maga Dog, Him turn around, bite you”.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Dear Editor, In the Kaieteur News article of August 25, the British High Commissioner is reported to have made a statement which I find to be very curious and, frankly, disturbing. He said the United Kingdom is getting value for money as it relates to the operation of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) under the guidance of his countryman and Financial Investigations Advisor to SOCU, Dr. Sam Sittlington. Responding to questions from the press at his residence on Friday, August 24th, Greg Quinn is quoted as saying, “It is not for SOCU to decide when and if a prosecution should move forward, and I KNOW (emphasis mine) that SOCU has done a lot of investigation on a whole range of subjects… all SOCU can do is put forward good cases; and I think if you ask Sam, he would say they have been doing that. SOCU is doing its job.”

Editor, in a previous letter, I had expressed concern over the level of interference in our domestic affairs by the UK High Commissioner and Dr. Sittlington, whose role is still undefined as he has been seen active in operational investigations.

The UK Envoy spoke

as though he knows about the quality of the work being done by SOCU. Apart from the fact that he is Sittlington’s friend, any reasonable person would assume that Quinn could only make that assessment if he has access to confidential documents informing him of the extent and contents of investigations taking place at SOCU. Considering most, if not all of the cases being investigated by that Agency targets former PPP/C Ministers and officials, this raises the question as to whether any foreign representative would make this their business, and the extent to which High Commissioner Quinn is involved. The UK High Commissioner speaking so candidly on operational security matters can only be considered political interference and intrusion in the affairs of a sovereign nation, which is being ignored by the APNU+AFC Government, for it aids their objective of the political witch-hunt of former PPP/C officials.

Is Gregory Quinn doing this on his own? Or is it his way of appeasing London to justify the cost of Sittlington’s advisory role here and going after political opponents to gain favour with the APNU+AFC

government. The freeing of Dr. Jennifer Westford of trumped-up charges brought against her on the advice of SOCU did nothing to improve Government’s image with its hard-core PNC base.

They have more disappointments to come!

As he seems interested in our security affairs, does the UK High Commissioner know that the APNU+AFC Government has hired several lawyers friendly to the APNU+AFC Administration as Special Prosecutors who now benefit from the $100 million the Government set aside to pay special prosecutors, while at the same time cuts the DPP budget, compromising her ability to go after the real hardcore criminals: murderers; armed bandits and rapists that are terrorising the entire nation on a daily basis?

I wonder what are the views of the UK High Commissioner on these issues, since he is not shy to comment on other security matters.

Sincerely, Harry Gill PPP/C Member of Parliament Member of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee

Blocked drains in Durban Backlands Dear Editor, The drains in Durban Backlands have been blocked for the last month, and there has been no at-

tempt to clean them.

Stagnant water is now breeding mosquitoes in the entire area. Why are we pay-

ing rates & taxes?

Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento

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Foundation

Part 2 Transportation and safety: Do you know what time school starts and how your children will get there?

If they’re riding the bus, do you know where the bus stop is and what time they’ll be picked up and dropped off?

Do you know where the school’s designated drop-off and pick-up area is?

Are there any regulations on bicycles or other vehicles, such as scooters?

Have you gone over traffic safety information, stressing the importance of crossing at the pedestrian crossing (never between parked cars or in front of the school bus), waiting for the bus to stop before approaching it, and understanding traffic signals and signs?

If your child walks or bikes to school, have you mapped out a safe route? Does your child understand that it’s never OK to accept rides, candy, or any other type of invitation from strangers?

What about after school?

Figuring out where children will go after school can be a challenge, especially if both parents work. Depending on a child’s age and maturity, you may need to arrange for afterschool transportation and care.

It’s important for younger children and preteens to have some sort of supervision from a responsible adult. If you can’t be there as soon as school’s out, ask a reliable, responsible relative, friend, or neighbour to help out. If they’re to be picked up after school, make sure your children know where to meet you or another caregiver.

Although it might seem like children who are approaching adolescence are becoming

mature enough to start watching themselves after school, even children as old as 11 or 12 may not be ready to be left alone.

If your children or teens are home alone in the afternoons, it’s important to establish clear rules: Set a time when they’re expected to arrive home from school.

Have them check in with you or a neighbour as soon as they get home.

Specify who, if anyone at

all, is allowed in your home when you’re not there.

Make sure they know to never open the door for strangers.

Make sure they know what to do in an emergency.

To ensure that children are safe and entertained after school, look into after-school programmes. Some are run by private businesses, others are organised by the schools themselves, places of worship, police athletic leagues, YMCAs, community and youth centres, etc.

Getting involved in afterschool activities: offers children a productive alternative to watching TV or playing video games provides some adult

supervision when parents can’t be around after school helps develop children’ interests and talents introduces children to new people and helps them develop their social skills gives children a feeling of involvement keeps children out of trouble Be sure to look into the child-staff ratio at any afterschool programme (in other words, make sure that there are enough adults per child)

and that the facilities are safe, indoors and out. And children should know when and who will pick them up when school lets out and when the afterschool programme ends.

Also, make sure after-school commitments allow children enough time to complete school assignments. Keep an eye on their schedules to make sure there’s enough time for both schoolwork and home life.

Helping homework Love it or hate it, homework is a very important part of school. To help children get back into the scholastic swing of things: Make sure there’s a quiet place that’s free of distractions to do homework.

Don’t let children watch TV when doing homework or studying. Set rules for when homework and studying need to be done, and when the TV can be turned on and should be turned off. The less TV, the better, especially on school nights.

If your children are involved in social media, be sure to limit the time spent on these activities during homework time.

Keep text messaging to a minimum to avoid frequent interruptions.

Never do their homework or projects yourself. Instead, make it clear that you’re always available to help or answer any questions.

Review homework assignments nightly, not necessarily to check up, but to make sure they understand everything.

Encourage children to: develop good work habits from the get-go, like taking notes, writing down assignments, and turning in homework on time take their time with schoolwork ask the teacher if they don’t understand something To ensure children get the most out of school, maintain an open channel of communication with the teachers by emailing or talking with them throughout the school year to discuss your children’ academic strengths as well as weaknesses.

Most of all, whether it’s the first day of school or the last, make sure your children know you’re there to listen to their feelings and concerns, and that you don’t expect perfection — only that they try their best.

(Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

Y

uan Xiao Jie, also known as the Lantern Festival, takes place during the first full moon of the year, and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The festival takes place in the evening, with lanterns to illuminate the streets.

Traditionally, the lanterns will have a riddles written on them for entertainment. Bring a bit of the fun of Yuan Xiao Jie to your home to end this summer with this lantern activity.

What you need: Construction paper Streamers Glue Stapler Scissors Pencil Felt tip pens or pencil crayons Ruler Glitter, sequins, stickers and whatever else your child wants to use to decorate Internet (optional) What you do: Have your child fold a piece of the construction paper in half lengthwise so it forms a long and skinny rectangle.

Tell your child to position the paper so the fold is facing him.

Ask him to use the ruler to measure one inch down from the top edge of the paper (the end that’s not folded) and make a mark with the pencil. Then, he should draw a straight line lengthwise one inch from the edge. Tell your child that it’s important to not cut beyond this line.

Help your child use the scissors to cut lines from the folded edge of the paper up to the line he created.

Ask him to open the paper and match the edges of the paper together to form a cylinder-like shape.

Have your child use the glue to attach the two uncut edges.

Let dry.

Using another piece of construction paper, your child can measure and cut out a one-inch wide strip across the length of the paper to be used as the handle.

Instruct your child to use the stapler to attach the handle to the top of the lantern.

Challenge your child to think of a riddle, and have him write it on the lantern. Then, write the answer on the inside of the lantern. If he’s stumped, let him do some research on the Internet to find one he likes. We used this one: I am the beginning of the end, the end of every place. I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I? The letter E! (education.com)

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Murdered 3-year-old died from stab wound to the heart …CC&PA claims 3 visits made to family …mother likely for court today

A

post-mortem examination performed on the body of threeyear-old Ramdeo Ferriera who was brutally killed by his mother, died as a result of a stab wound to his heart. This was the finding of pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh, who conducted the autopsy on Monday at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The lad of Lot 585 15th Street, Foulis, East Coast Demerara, was stabbed to death by his 26-yearold pregnant mother on Saturday after she allegedly had a dream that she would die. She told Police that if that was the case, she did not want her favourite child to be left behind.

The Police stated that on Saturday, the woman began pursuing the hapless lad in the yard with a knife in her hand.

A few minutes later, ranks at the Enmore Police Outpost received a report that the child had been stabbed by his mother; and upon arriving at the scene, they found the child lying unconscious in a pool of blood with suspected stab wounds to his neck and back.

He was rushed to the

puted wife started to act in an abnormal manner days prior to the incident.

He recalled lodging a report at the Enmore Police Station about her behaviour, but the ranks never visited the home until Saturday after the child was stabbed.

CC&PA visits

Brenda Ferriera stabbed her three-year-old to death

Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) where he succumbed to his injuries about three hours later. At the time of the stabbing, the child’s father, Shamlall Mahadeo, was at work and upon receiving the news, he rushed home only to find a blood-stained bed and no one at home.

Based on reports received, the woman would usually neglect the children when the father was at work and this, neighbours stated, would lead to constant arguments between the couple.

The aggrieved father told media operatives that his re-

After the incident, neighbours blamed themselves for not intervening in the situation at an early stage. It was reported that the woman was reported to the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) for child neglect, but the officers visited once when no one was at home and never returned.

This claim was refuted

by Director of the Agency, Ann Greene who told Guyana Times that the officers would have received the first report on December 18, 2017 and a team travelled up to the area only to find that the house was locked.

Upon enquiring, the officers were reportedly told that the family had moved.

CC&PA officers, she noted, revisited the area on January 18, 2018 and it was the same case. The final visit was made on May

2, 2018 and the house was still locked.

In addition, Greene stated that they leant of the abnormal behaviour of the mother until after the child was killed.

With respect to the older child who witnessed the stabbing, Greene posited that he is in the care of relatives and the Agency will be making periodic checks to make sure that he is safe.

The child, Guyana Times understands, will be counselled.

On the other hand, fol-

lowing the incident, several psychologists have called from the woman to be psychologically evaluated since it could be that she suffered from some form of mental illness but her reputed husband for five years claimed that she was never diagnosed with a mental disorder and could not tell what might have triggered her action.

Court appearance

Meanwhile, the woman, Brenda Ferriera, is likely to make her court appearance

today at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court. A Police source told Guyana Times that the file is completed and will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

“Once the file is returned, the suspect will be taken to court to answer to a murder charge,” the source stated.

The dead lad leaves to mourn his dad and fouryear-old brother whom he was excited to join at his nursery school when the new school year began.

8 news

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS Emotions flare as ex-soldier jailed 15 years for killing friend

Deceased: Devon Howell

E

x-Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer, Alistair Woolford, was on Monday sentenced to 15 years in prison at the High Court for the shooting to death of his friend Devon Howell, who met his demise at the former soldier’s D’Anrade Street, Kitty, Georgetown residence. The sentence was handed down

by Justice Sandhil Kissoon nearly one month after Woolford was found guilty by a 10-2 jury proportion.

However, it was high drama as family members exchanged words after an emotional Woolford was escorted

by Police ranks on Monday.

Police stationed at the court were called in to settle tensions as the two sides traded barbs; both outside the courtroom and on the court’s South Road entrance. During the trial, the 24-year old discharged sol-

dier never denied that he killed Howell but instead claimed that he was only “joking around” on the day in question – November 12, 2014. It was believed to be a game of Russian roulette based on reports that Woolford, Howell and others were taking turns feeling the GDF service weapon that former soldier, Jonathon Williams obtained from Army headquarters at Camp Ayanganna.

Justice Sandil Kissoon, who handed down the sentence for the manslaughter charge, called the offender’s actions reprehensible, reckless and unbecoming of a trained GDF officer.

The Judge opined that Woolford, by way of his conduct, failed his mother, society and himself. Howell died on December 8, 2014, just weeks after being shot.

Jailed: Alistair Woolford

child. He was out on bail prior to being found guilty.

The Judge started at a base of 25 years but subtracted six years for a favourable probation report and four years for his young age and other mitigating

Tensions flared when the two families exited the courtroom

The Judge considered that Woolford is a father to one and is expecting another

factors.

“The death is indeed tragic and unfortunate. You were

irresponsible and negligent,” Justice Kissoon observed.

The probation report disclosed that Woolford’s father has been incarcerated for the last nine years. It also unearthed that even though the offender left school in Third Form, his fellow ranks described him as having to potential to go very far in the Army.

Woolford shed a few tears as he was being led away but his friend’s mother, Allison Howell told Guyana Times that she is extremely upset that Woolford or his relatives never apologised for her son’s demise. She made similar remarks when she took the stand at Monday’s sentencing. The still grieving woman told the court that she can never forgive Woolford for his actions.

However, the jailed officer’s mother, Feona Edwards later on responded that she will continue to support her son as she maintained that the two males were good friends. In an unsworn statement to the court last month, her son said he was only joking around when he squeezed the trigger and the gun went off.

Williams had however claimed that he was in the washroom at the time the weapon was fired. The prosecution’s case was that Woolford discharged the loaded firearm with intent to murder Howell. State Counsels Abigail Gibbs and Mandell Moore prosecuted the case. (Shemuel Fanfair)

Teen gets 10 years jail for killing CD vendor

E

ighteen-year-old Eton Calistro was on Monday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon for stabbing a a CD vendor to death July 18, 2015 at Soesdyke, on the East Bank of Demerara.

Upon the State’s murder indictment, Calistro, who plead not guilty to the murder of 21-year-old Leroy Moore, called “Jim Carrey”, admitted guilt to the lesser count of manslaughter.

State Counsels Abigail Gibbs and Mandell Moore appeared for the prosecution while attorneys George Thomas and Sonia Parag defended Calistro. According to the facts of the case presented by Prosecutor Gibbs, the labourer, who was just 15 years old at the time of his crime, went to a bar with his two brothers and while there, the deceased, Moore “hustled” a female, which annoyed Calistro. The court heard that the two had an exchange of words, after which, Calistro left with his

Jailed teenager: Eton Calistro

siblings. Moore was with seven other males at the time.

The prosecutor further explained that after they left the bar and went to Soesdyke, the accused and the deceased met up and had a scuffle. Moore was stabbed twice and succumbed whilst being transported to hospital. A post-mortem examination revealed he died from perforation to the heart and lungs due to stab wounds.

In plea of mitigation, the defence attorney, George

Thomas, informed the court that his client was defending himself as Calistro saw himself as a victim in the matter. Thomas pointed to alcohol consumption being a notable factor of the incident while his client begged the court’s mercy.

Prosecutor Gibbs observed that even though the killing was unfortunate due to ages involved; persons must face the consequences for their actions. She contended that a period of incarceration could give the offender

an opportunity to reflect on what he had done so that he would not repeat his crime.

After a brief adjournment, Justice Kissoon passed down sentence, observing the impact that alcohol had on the events that led to the outcome. He started at a base of 25 years for manslaughter and deducted one-third of the sentence for acceptance of guilt; three years for time spent on remand and three years, six months for his age and other mitigating factors.

In July, Calistro appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds and pleaded not guilty to both murder and manslaughter after reportedly telling his then lawyer, Stanley Moore that he indented to plead guilty to manslaughter. Those proceedings were discontinued, and he was ordered to appear before another Judge.

Moore was a former resident of Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens.

On the brain…

Y

…and off his rocker

our Eyewitness is getting worried about PM Nagamootoo. No, it’s not about him being shafted out of what he was promised in Cummingsburg.

He clearly enjoys “shafting”, since he so revels in being reduced to a weekly columnist in the Chronic! The worry’s actually about whether he’s really recovered from that open-heart surgery, so his brain’s getting enough oxygen to function properly!

Take his first article -- “Plight of the refugees” -- after returning from his check-up in the States. He launched into a long and meandering attack on (who else?) his bete noir, Bharrat Jagdeo. Now, we know Nagamootoo has Jagdeo on his brain, because he convinced himself the younger man did him out of his “right” to become the PPP Leader. He never realized that calling Cheddi and Janet “Ma and Pa” never blinded them to his (vast) inadequacies!!

But this last attack went beyond his usual cattiness, since it betrayed a total lack of comprehension of what the Opposition Leader said about the influx of Venezuelan refugees. Just so your Eyewitness isn’t accused of bias, he refers to the Muckraker’s account of Jagdeo’s position.

It was summarised by their headline’s strap: “WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO TREAT THEM FAIRLY AND IN A HUMANITARIAN WAY BUT IN THE LONG TERM, THEY MUST BE REPATRIATED TO VENEZUELA.” – Jagdeo.

Jagdeo insisted the refugees produce passports, and expressed two concerns – one: that the GDF was taking the lead role on the refugees; and second: that the refugees were indiscriminately lumped together. He suggested that refugees of Guyanese ancestry be accepted and resettled; those of Amerindian ancestry be allowed to remain, because they are migratory. But “given the nature of the threat on the border and what a settlement on our side of the border with permanent residents of Venezuela can pose,” the last group must accept eventual repatriation.

But how did Nagamootoo interpret that position? “It was a vintage piece of pure undiluted hypocrisy for him to oppose temporary settlement in our sovereign and secure border areas of Venezuelans, who are coming to Guyana as refugees,” he screeched!! Now where, for goodness sake, was Jagdeo opposing “temporary settlement” of refugees?? But if Nagamootoo can’t see the strategic danger of allowing Venezuelans to establish settlements in an area that ALL of them were indoctrinated to see as their birthright, then his brain is oxygen deficient at a minimum, or he’s gone off his rocker, at worse!

But worst of all was for him to claim Venezuela’s ally, “Equador, is accepting Venezuelans with ID cards only”.

That’s just not true – and also for Peru!!

Is it that Nagamootoo now can’t even comprehend newspaper reports? It’s a shad, shad shituation!!

…with moral licensing

Quite a lot of Guyanese – even supporters of the PNCled Government – wonder how these Ministers and other officials can commit so many egregious actions and still live with themselves. One explanation is they practice “Moral Licensing”. That’s the term psychologists and researchers use to describe the process by which folks use a “good” behaviour to later justify a “bad” choice. We all do this, like you know, asking for that “Diet Coke” and then gorging ourselves on a bucket of KFC, or a whole bunjal duck!!

But in the case of the Government officials, right off the bat after elections, they convinced themselves that being “public servants” is their “good behaviour”, and this then rationalises all the outrageous behaviour that follows! Like giving themselves a 50% raise but stiffing the teachers from getting a living wage and forcing them to now come into the streets for what is rightfully theirs.

The irony is: the Government Ministers and other high officials are anything but “public servants”.

They behave like they’re our lords and masters.

…“denialism”

From his elevated perch of upper class, “Coloured” self-righteousness, President Granger continues to insult lower-strata supporters. This time he warned Cuffy 250 members about the disease of ‘denialism’!!

But isn’t he suffering from that on the Hinds’ banishment from the Chronic?

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

News

9

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Strike for better wages

Teachers protest in front of President’s office …Union unlikely to meet for conciliation talks today

Teachers picket in front of the Ministry of the Presidency (Dexter Ceres photo) A group of teachers outside the Linden Department of Education

By Rupadai Seenaraine, Andrew Carmichael and Utamu Belle

T

he Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has announced that it is highly unlikely the Union will be able to engage the Education Ministry today for pending discussions requested by the Department of Labour on the requested salary increases for some 7000 teachers.

This was the position shared by GTU President Mark Lyte who told media operatives on Monday that due to the Union’s General Councils meeting, they will have to reschedule to a later date.

He shared these remarks amid a protest by teachers at the entrance of the Ministry of the Presidency on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, to voice their disappointment with the Education Ministry and the Government at large, calling for their 40 per cent increase

in wages. Lyte further indicated that the soonest day in which they will be available for a meeting is Friday.

“We received an invitation for the conciliation meeting but the GTU has a long planned General Councils meeting. We will be responding as it relates to our availability. We will have to ask for a reschedule of the meeting, probably by Friday.”

He noted that the

Ministry had been scheduling such meetings on days when activities are already planned by the Union.

Additionally, the notices are sent out hours before the event. In this case, the General Councils meeting was planned during the last academic term and teachers will be travelling from all regions to attend.

Last Friday, a meeting was planned by the Department of Labour so

Teachers outside the Berbice High School on Monday

as to engage the Union on discussions for the increase. However, representatives from the GTU did not attend. Lyte justified the Union’s absence, noting that short notice was given which coincides with other activities which were planned.

When asked if the Union is trying to boycott engagements that are set by the Labour Department, the GTU President responded, “if invitation is given and it clashes with a planned activity that we have, obvious-

ly we will not be able to attend. Our General Councils would meet once per term so it’s not something that we can push back,” said Lyte.

At that time, over 60 teachers and GTU officials were carrying placards as they recited slogans for the 40 per cent increase. This, they said, was a promise made by the Government after the task force would have suggested a 40 per cent increase for the teachers.

“The recommendation that was made by the task force is what we’re asking for. The recommendation was the 40 per cent. It is not teachers coming out here and coming up with the idea that we want 40 per cent.

The Government wants something from the teachers; better performance, we also want a package from the Government,” said Stacy Benjamin.

While some teachers bargained for their rights and reasons for the increase, others threatened that a mass protest could emerge

from these pickets if the Ministry does not meet their demands.

Issues that were raised included poor utility services at their respective schools, along with the absence of a stipend to be spent to upkeep the classrooms. According to them, monies are being taken out of their pockets to purchase items and educational aids for students.

GTU’s Chairman Kerwin Mars explained that the Union is under the impression the Education Ministry does not want to resolve the issue. “I know that the Union is prepared to talk and to come up with reasonable solutions to end this thing. I see the Government not wanting to do that,” Mars said.

So far, the GTU has rejected the Government’s request for a debunching payoff of $200 million for 2018 to 2019. They have also rejected the $700 million that was placed for the increases for 2018 only.

Turn to page 16

10 news Jagdeo, Granger to meet this week on Top Cop’s appointment W tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

ith a list of potential candidates already lined up, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is expected to meet with President David Granger this week to select the next Police Commissioner.

According to closely placed sources, the meeting has been set for Thursday at State House. It will be the first time since July that the two leaders have met on the matter of a constitutional appointment.

Following the retirement of former Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, there has been much theory over who will succeed him. While current acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has held the fort for some time and is perceived as a possible successor, the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into an alleged plot to assassinate the President did put a damper on those chances.

Over the course of the CoI, a number of officers were summoned and even upbraided for their

officers involved.

Ramnarine was later interviewed for the position of Police Commissioner. Also interviewed were Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Leslie James, Lyndon Alves, Marlon Chapman, Nigel Hoppie, Maxine Graham and Crime Chief Paul Williams.

In November 2017, when asked whether Williams is likely to take up the mantle, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who was then acting in the capacity of Public

Security Minister, offered no direct reply.

Harmon, however, had hinted at the possibility of a female assuming the position of Top Cop when he outlined that while there was a line of succession in the Guyana Police Force, female officers were also to be considered when deciding on a Police Commissioner.

In so doing, he noted, “You don’t just look at the male ranks in the Police Force; we have female officers as well. And, therefore,

if it is that a female officer is to be the person, then so be it.”

Nevertheless, as mandated by the Constitution, the President will have to have consultations with the Opposition Leader, on the names for the Top Cop position and the Deputy Commissioners of Police.

Police Service Commission

The last piece of the puzzle before the Commissioner can be appointed was the Police Service Commission President David Granger

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

work during the investigation. Besides the senior officers, junior officers were also criticised by Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe, who was appointed by the President.

Ramnarine was one of those who made an appearance before the CoI. When the dust was settled, and the report handed over, it included recommendations for sanctions against Ramnarine for the handling of the investigation by the

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine

Maxine Graham

Crime Chief Paul Williams

(PSC). The PSC is tasked with promotions of officers above the rank.

It also handles disciplinary matters for officers. The life of the previous Commission ended in September of 2017.

However, a new Commission was sworn in earlier this month, with Slowe as Chairman. But his appointment has raised eyebrows.

Following the last meeting with President Granger, Jagdeo had said Slowe “… will bring two sets of baggage with him. One, the political approach to the job; that is, judging people based on politics; and secondly, he has a lot of interpersonal problems with many members of the Police Force and old scores, I believe, to settle; and therefore that could harm his judgement.”

Asked to comment on this statement shortly after he was sworn in, Slowe told reporters that what he has to offer is what matters.

“I do have baggage, but is what’s in the baggage is the important thing. The baggage contains discipline, professionalism, measures to deal with corruption; so forget about the baggage, examine what’s inside,” the new PSC Chairman asserted.

Jagdeo had said that when he raised his concerns, President Granger had indicated that he would speak with Slowe to ensure that he acts impartially, and not to “bring baggage to the job.”

11

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

I

f you have kids, odds are you have a box full of broken crayons. Don’t throw those bits and pieces out! Cycle them into fun color wheels and save yourself from buying a new box!

Crayon Color Wheel Craft For this craft, you will need:

Materials:

• Bits of Crayons in an assortment of colors • A clean, empty tuna can, or other shallow can

By Claire McCarthy, MD

I

t’s a major milestone, starting school for the first time.

Whether it’s preschool or kindergarten, that first school experience can be exciting – and scary. It can be a big adjustment for parents, too!

Here are some tips to help ensure a smooth transition for everyone.

Talk about it. This sounds obvious, but we should never underestimate the power of narrative to reassure and empower. Talk about what the day will be like, about what you will do to get ready, how your child will get to school, what they will do, and how the school day will end – as well as what will happen when they get home.

•

Tongs

Directions:

• Remove the paper wrappers from the broken bits of Crayon.

• Place the broken bits into the tuna can. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the can and all the pieces are touching the bottom.

• Using your tongs, place the tuna can on your stove on low heat until the bits of crayon melt together. Stay

Start planning – and trying – some healthy snacks and lunches. This is especially true if you have a child who is very picky, or one who is used to hot lunches or other things that don’t work so well when packed for school. Try out some new fruits and vegetables, some sandwiches o r wraps or stuffed pita.

Get your child on a sleep schedule that will work for school. This is incredibly important, and many families start it too late (or don’t do it at all). Your child should preferably sleep nine to 10 hours every night.

So figure out what time they will need to get up for school, count back 10 hours, and then start an hour before that with turning off screens and having

with the can the entire time it’s on the stove and do not leave children unattended during this step.

• Once the Crayon bits have melted together, remove the can from the heat and set it aside to cool – at least one hour.

• Once it’s cooled flip the can over and gently tap the bottom until your color wheel pops free.

Your broken bits now have new life!

calming routines.(www.health.harvard.edu)

12

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

A

s summer comes to an end and back-to-school season begins, it can be hard to get back into a regular schedule — both for kids and adults. To help you out, we share our thoughts on how parents can get a jump on the school year. The trick here is to plan ahead.

1. Reacquaint your kids with the calendar schedule they'll use to manage their activities.

2. Refresh your rules about screen time for the school year. What's allowed and when?

3.

Determine how long it takes them to do assignments to help with time management.

4.

Teach your kids to prioritize their assignments by making to-do lists with deadlines.

5.

Give your kids a short break after each assignment they finish, such as a short walk.

6. Set a regular alarm each day that signals the start of homework time.

7.

Discuss what your kids can expect on the first day so they feel more prepared.

8.

Arrange playdates with two or three of your kids' friends to rebuild existing social ties.

9. Get the lists of school supplies, books and technology your kids will need.

10. Inventory last year's school supplies before going out to buy more.

11. Include your kids in back-to-school shopping by letting them pick out their items.

12. Establish a specific space like the family office as the official "homework area."

13. Remove distractions like TVs and video game consoles from homework areas.

14. Create an after-school schedule that allows time for snack, relaxation, play and study.

15. Have your kids pack their school bags before they go to sleep that night.

16. Create a list and budget for back-to-school shopping.

17. Shop for school supplies and clothes early. Avoid the rush.

18. Talk openly with your kids about their feelings about returning to school.

19. Do something fun to diffuse this stressful time of year for all of you.

20. Take a breath!

13

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Y

our kiddos deserve a lunch they'll truly enjoy, and these back-to-school lunch ideas won't disappoint. The new school year gets closer every day.

Have you thought about your kids' lunch plan yet? This year, say goodbye to that sandwich and chips, and pack your kids a healthy lunch they won't want to trade. Healthy lunch ideas don't have to be boring. In fact, these back-to-school lunches will knock their socks off:

375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Grease a muffin tin and set it aside.

3. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion. Drain off the excess fat.

4. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic salt.

Mini Cheeseburger Pies

If your little one loves cheeseburgers, try making this healthier version for lunch, from Your Homebased Mom. Ingredients: • 1 pound ground beef • 1 large onion, chopped • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded • 1 teaspoon garlic salt • 1/2 cup milk • 1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix • 2 eggs Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to

cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Nothing will warm your child's spirit at school like these Mini Chicken Pot Pies from Easy Toddler Meals.

Ingredients: • 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped • 3/4 cup cream of chicken condensed soup • Flour • 1 package crescent roll dough • 1/2 cup frozen vegetables, thawed Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken

5. Stir together the milk, Bisquick mix, and eggs. Whisk until completely combined.

6. Fill each muffin cup half full with the Bisquick mixture, then top with 1/4 cup of the ground beef mixture.

7. Top each muffin cup with an additional tablespoon of Bisquick mixture.

8. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

Your kids will beg for these Homemade Pizza Rolls, courtesy of What Lisa Cooks.

Ingredients: • 1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough • Flour • 3 tablespoons pizza sauce • 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Roll out the crescent roll dough into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle.

3. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough in a thin, even layer.

4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce.

5. Roll up the dough jellyroll style, then slice it horizontally into 1/2-inch slices.

6. Arrange on a greased

condensed soup, vegetables and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Roll out the crescent roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.

4. Cut out circles from the dough using a 3-inch cookie cutter.

5. Grease a muffin tin, then form a dough circle into each muffin cup.

6. Spoon the chicken mixture into each cup.

7. Using a glass or cookie cutter, carve out circles of crescent dough.

8. Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray and carefully place dough in each circle.

9. Add chicken mixture into each circle, then top with strips cut from the leftover dough.

10. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

14 news

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Minibus fare increase GWI in talks with Finance another burden – FITUG Ministry to establish mini labs

T

he Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has labelled the $20 across-the-board increase in minibus fares, expected to be active by September 1, a burden on the beleaguered working people.

The union on Monday expressed its dissatisfaction over the fare hike, expressing that “it was disheartening for us that the Government, it seemed, did not take cognisance of what impacts the increases would have on the pockets of the working people.”

According to FITUG, although it accepts that the operators have found themselves in a difficult position, taking into consideration the ban on used tyres and increases in the costs of licences and fitness in addition to other increases, the new increases, depending on the route, could work out to as much as a 25 per cent hike in fares.

The Union pointed out that it believes the new fare structure would now require workers and their families, depending on the number of buses they would have to take, to fork out as much as several thousands more per month on transportation, though promised a ‘Good Life’ by the ruling Coalition Government.

“Naturally, we expected the Administration would have sought to see what assistance the State could have lent to easing the woes of the bus operators, without placing additional burdens on our people.

This is the approach any re-

…as major lab receives certification

T

Relocated minibuses parked outside Ashmin’s Trading and Silvie’s Variety Store on High Street, Georgetown

sponsible Government would take as it seeks to protect its people’s well-being,” FITUG stated.

Moreover, the Union asserted that it had high expectations of the Government to do ‘what is right and decent’.

“Certainly, the Coalition had several possible fiscal measures at its disposal, but rather ‘uncreatively’ passed on the increased costs to hapless, overburdened Guyanese”, the agitated Union noted.

In addition to the hike on minibus fares, FITUG also complained of the impending hike in water rates, which it said are being saddled on to the backs of our overburdened working people.

The union added that while the administration boasts of high economic growth, “we find many of our people cannot cope with the pressures of life. This is not a healthy situation, and one we urge the Administration to pay careful attention to.”

About one week ago, the Business Ministry announced that minibuses in the various routes would be benefiting

from an additional $20 from each passenger, beginning on September 01.

According to the Business Ministry, a new fare structure would be made available to minibus drivers, who would then be responsible for displaying same in their buses.

President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews, has said he is satisfied with the Ministry’s decision to implement a $20 increase. He said, “It might not be a lot, but we are satisfied.”

The President of the Minibus Union had in June submitted a proposal for not only a fare increase, but for several other requests to ease the pressure on minibus operators.

Although the call for a fare increase came at a time when fuel prices were constantly escalating, Andrews had noted that the call for the additional money was not only due to the fuel prices, but to several other issues. Because of this, the Union’s President said, even if the fuel prices were to be lowered, he would not be willing to drop the transportation costs.

he Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is currently in talks with the Finance Ministry to discuss the possibilities of more laboratories being established across the country, as the 2019 budgetary plans are being finalised.

This was announced on Monday by Managing Director of GWI, Richard Van WestCharles at the company’s head office on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown as the laboratory received certification from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) after one year.

Due to the certification received, Van West-Charles said, “We have started to create a set of mini laboratories, placing kits in different parts… so we have a few already, mini laboratories.

As I said earlier, I just came from the Ministry of Finance.

We are discussing the budget for 2019. In that budget is a proposal for some more mini laboratories”.

According to Dr WestCharles, the establishing of the mini laboratories is a critical issue. The Managing Director explained that it is a complete waste of resources for water samples to be taken from outlying areas and results take months to return.

Meanwhile, head of water quality at GWI, Deon Anderson, explained that over the oneyear period, the company was required to meet basic requirements of the World Health Organisation (WHO), before

GWI Managing Director, Dr Richard Van West-Charles receives the certificate from head of the Conformity Assessment Department at the GNBS, Rodlyn Semple

achieving the necessary certification. A few of those requirements ensuring the test methods were well-developed and implemented along with consistent accuracy testing of the equipment used to ensure proper water quality.

Anderson added that the certification is a validation of the laboratory’s ability to deliver reliable, accurate and precise information to its customers.

“The certification validates the competence of our staff in the water quality department, it validates also the appropriateness of our test methods and protocols that are used to test the different water quality parameters. It ensures traceability of our measurements that are done in terms of our standard operational procedures,” the water quality expert pointed out.

Laboratory Consultant,

Karamchand Ramoutar, said he expects to continue working with the company, even as it seeks international certification.

Head of the Conformity Assessment Department at GNBS, Rodlyn Semple lauded the water company for being the 14th laboratory to achieve GYS170 standard.

The GYS-170 standard is the national standard which specifies the operation of a laboratory, she said, which also assures that reliable testing meets the needs of consumers.

She noted, “Indeed today (Monday) is not only a momentous occasion but it signifies that laboratories in Guyana recognise the need to implement standards for overall improvement.”

For GWI to maintain its certification, it will be reevaluated over a two-year period by trained assessors.

news

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TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Goldfields to lay off Greenfield workers …rehiring to be based only on transferable skills

Consumer Affairs body kicks off countrywide compliance inspection

C

anadian mining company Guyana Goldfields has taken a decision to lay off approximately 80 local workers in a bid to consolidate its operations. Any rehiring would be contingent on their skills sets.

This position was explained to this publication by Aurora Gold Mines’ Public Relations Officer Leon Roberts. According to Roberts, the company will be focusing its operations at Aurora, located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

This means that the company will be cutting back operations from its Greenfield prospect, also located in Region Seven.

“Yes, Guyana Goldfields Inc will let go of approximately 80 of our Greenfield exploration employees,” Roberts explained to this publication. “This is because the company has taken a decision to focus on our operations at Aurora, and consolidate on same while we pull back on exploration activities away from our main site,” Roberts confirmed.

The layoffs, meanwhile, are expected to take effect from next month. It is understood that the mining

CCAC representatives during their inspection in Bartica Guyana Goldfields operations

company would make an effort to rehire the redundant workers, but according to Roberts, this will be done on a case by case basis.

“With respect to re-absorbing some of the employees who will be laid off, this will be on a case by case basis, as an evaluation is made of whether they possess transferable skills that could lend to them being engaged in our operations at Aurora,” Roberts explained.

The Aurora mines achieved commercial production in January 1, 2016 with output of 151,600 ounces of gold, in line with the company’s upwardly revised guidance of 140,000 to 160,000 ounces.

Guyana Goldfields has long had a major role to play in the local mining sec-

tor. Government had announced shortfalls in gold production for last year.

Budgeting for 694,000 ounces, what was actually recorded was 653,674 ounces.

But according to data from the Bureau of Statistics, only Guyana Goldfields remained on production target.

Catering for 160,637 ounces, the company actually produced 168,112 ounces. The other major gold producer, Troy Resources Limited, produced 66,024 ounces, falling short of its target by over 3,000 ounces.

In comparison, small and medium scale miners were expected to deliver 482,613 ounces of gold. For 2017, they delivered only 419,538 ounces.

Last year, the Finance

Ministry’s half-year report had showed contractions in certain sectors when compared to the corresponding period in 2016. The declining sectors had included sugar, livestock, forestry, mining and quarrying and even the bauxite industry.

In particular, the mining and quarrying sector had contracted by 4.0 per cent during the first half of 2017.

Gold production fell by 1.7 per cent to 317,096 ounces in the first half of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016.

Gold prices are currently $1,206 per ounce. A recent spat between US President Donald Trump and Iran saw prices jump to $1,234 as demand for the metal increased on the international market last month.

Teen found guilty of killing East Canje “bad” man

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ineteen-year-old D a v e n a n d Dhandhari has been found guilty of killing East Canje labourer Omesh Seelall, 21, called “Rovin” and “Short Neck,” of Betsy Ground, East Canje in April 2018.

After deliberating for more than three hours on Monday, The mixed jury in the Berbice High Court returned the unanimous verdict of guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Prior to the incident that caused his conviction, Dhandhari, of Lot 27 Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice, had been an aspiring lawyer. He was convicted for unlawfully killing Omesh Seelall, was had also been known as the “East Canje bad man”, by hitting him to the head with a piece of wood he had removed from an animal drawn cart.

The youths had been among others when an argument erupted between the two during a wedding house brawl. The accused reportedly grabbed a piece of wood from an animal-drawn cart and hit Seelall on the head, rendering him unconscious.

During the trial, Dhandhari told the court that Seelall was attacking him with a knife and he grabbed the wood to defend himself.

Seelall, a labourer, sustained injuries to his head, resulting in his death six days after he was hit.

Dhandhari told the court

tencing, when the probation report should be presented.

(Andrew Carmichael)

A

s part of its function to administer and enforce the provisions of the Consumer Affairs and Competition and FairTrading Act, a team of officers of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) on Thursday last kicked off its first leg of a countrywide compliance inspection activity in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The team started the Bartica exercise with a courtesy call and meeting with the town’s Mayor and Councillors, representatives of the business community and other stakeholders where the role of the Commission and its relevance was highlighted.

The Mayor and Council, as well as the representatives of the business community welcomed the visit from the Commission and pledged to encourage and advocate for the compliance of the Consumer Affairs and Competition Fair Trading Act. The Council and business representatives extended an invitation for the Competition Unit of the

Commission to make a presentation on the Competition and Fair Trading Act to the group.

During the three-day compliance exercise, the team checked to ensure that the provisions of the Consumer Affairs Act “Part IV -Duties of the Supplier” are adhered to.

Provisions examined include the adherence to the six-month warranty obligation, the need to issue receipts for all transactions, the return and refund policy, the non-display of signs which indicate no refund and exchanges.

Ninety-five per cent of the businesses in Bartica were found to be compliant with the Act. Those businesses were issued with “Certificates of Compliance, while those in contravention were given a notice of issues that they should correct and the CCAC will re-check within a month to ensure that they have become compliant.

The second phase of the CCAC’s compliance will move next to the Georgetown area.

GRA strengthens enforcement in Bartica

T Convicted: Davenand Dhandhari

that at the time of the incident he was scared, knowing Seelall’s reputation. He related that in 2014 Seelall had stabbed a man and was before the court for attempted murder. A few days before the incident, at another wedding, he had also been involved in a fight; and at the wedding house earlier that night, he had again been involved in a fight.

During the trial witnesses gave conflicting evidence as to what had transpired and what was left at the scene.

The dead man’s brother said he had seen a piece of wood and a knife, while grandmother of the accused said she had seen only a piece of wood. The prosecution’s chief witness said she had witnessed Dhandhari running towards Seelall and lashing him. She also testified that at the time Seelall had a knife.

Dead: Omesh Seelall

In his testimony, Dhandari admitted there had been some hostility between them prior to the incident of April 22, 2016. He said he had gone into a shop and seen Seelall drinking a beer, and Seelall had looked at him and said, “Look this fat anti-man.”

Dhandhari told the court he responded by saying, “You can only look, but you can’t do anything.”

After the jury had given its verdict, Dhandhari was heard wailing and saying the justice system is unfair.

At the time of the incident he was a secondary school student and has to sit his CAPE from behind the prison walls.

Meanwhile, Defence attorney Mursaline Bacchus asked for a probation report on the accused to be presented.

Justice Joann Barlow has set September 12 for sen-

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is in the process of relocating its office in Bartica to a more full-fledged location within the town, since it aims to improve the standards of taxpayers’ service and by extension, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, lead a group of tax officials on Thursday last to the site which is the proposed new location for the tax office at Fifth Avenue, Bartica. This is where the Authority intends to begin its operations officially as from November this year, and in addition, the new location will also include among other things, living quarters for some senior staff, allowing them to have less rental rates and other related expenses.

This move is in keeping with the agenda of strengthening tax compliance and enforcement activities countrywide, beginning with improvements of the existing Integrated Regional Tax Offices (IRTOs), together with the soon-tobe functional Mabaruma office. Existing IRTOs are located at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); Parika, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); New Amsterdam and Corriverton, in Berbice,

Commissioner General of GRA, Godfrey Statia and team in discussion with Region Seven REO, Roderick Edinboro along with staff

Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); Bartica; Region Seven; Lethem, in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); and Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

An initial assessment was done at the aforementioned locations and from this, it was determined that despite earlier efforts to provide a onestop-shop at these sites, improvements were necessary in terms of a more enabling environment for staff and building capacity for the benefit of taxpayers who would otherwise have to travel to Georgetown for some services. It was also discovered that in order to be effective, regional offices must not only be equipped to offer complete taxpayer services but also be able to conduct audits and investigations in relation to economic activities by individual and corporate taxpayers

in the said localities.

The GRA is of the view that this resourcefulness is very timely, in light of the attainment of Bartica’s township status back in 2016, and the continued anticipated growth in economic activities and revenue flows. The Bartica IRTO is currently located at First Avenue, where it had commenced operations in 2007 before it was declared an IRTO under the Integrated Regional Offices initiative in 2008.

Several meetings were held by the GRA’s team together with the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Roderick Edinboro, in which plans and strategies were outlined for the region. Additionally, a new office will be commissioned by the GRA in Mabaruma, Region One within a few months, which is the first of its kind in the region.

16 news

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Times journalists shine at GPA awards

Guyana Times Journalist Shemuel Fanfair

T

wo Guyana Times journalists were recipients of various awards as the Guyana Press Association hosted its second annual dinner and awards ceremony on Sunday evening at the Georgetown Club.

Shemuel Fanfair, who reports primarily on agriculture, political and legal issues received the second prize for young journalist of the year as well as the third

prize for the best political story. Meanwhile, Lakhram Bhagirat, who principally specialises in health, human rights, community issues and featuring writing, secured the third places prizes for the young journalist of the year category and for best coverage of human rights issues. Both winners are West Demerara natives.

The Young Journalist of the Year Award for which the two reporters secured second and third respectively required that entrants submit five stories of a consistently high quality.

Fanfair’s five entries ranged from a Wales father of four pleading for his severance pay to the social ills that abounded in Wakenaam owing to challenges in the rice industry.

Another delved into the challenges the Wales market vendors were facing following the Estate’s closure while the other related to a High Court civil matter which dealt with a miller indenting to pay rice farmers monthly installments of $20,000 even though almost $10 million in judgement and court costs were earlier awarded. Fanfair’s third

Guyana Times Journalist Lakhram Bhagirat

place winning political story focused on range of issues surrounding sugar workers not receiving their severance pay.

Bhagirat’s third place prize for best coverage for human rights stories focused on his in-depth reporting on the Mental Health Unit’s plans to roll out suicide surveillance system.

Therein, he reported that teachers would be trained to identify children with psy-

RCC to engage GPF on how to deal with child cases

chological trauma.

For his five entries that secured him the third-place prize for Young Journalist of the Year, the journalist work included the September 2017 report where parents of three-year-old Anisha Singh were calling for a probe into their daughter’s death. Bhagirat was one of the reporters, who went to the interior community of Chenapau and his story on the plight of miners being arrested for allegedly mining in protested areas was recognised. Additionally, he reported on Charity Market Vendors refusing to relocate and another story where a first-time mother recalled a horrifying experience at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Maternity

Ward. His final entry in this category concerned Berbice businessmen laying off sugar workers in preparation for the closure of the Rose Hall Estate.

Attorney at law, Nigel Hughes was the guest speaker at the media awards.

Giving brief remarks, he highlighted the importance of journalists in several sectors but especially in the political arena.

“You possess the unrivaled talent to shape the development of our country use it for this purpose rather than lend support to taking heads which are sometimes focused on making political points spreading doom and gloom without spreading alternative solutions and approaches,” Hughes implored.

Meanwhile, the president of the GPA, Nazima Raghubir observed that the 2018s ceremony was organised to give the much-needed credit and recognition for outstanding performances in media fraternity. She said too that work of journalists is key to holding members of civil and political society accountable.

Vanessa Braithwaite from the State newspaper emerged at the top awardee after copping a total of seven awards, including Young Journalist of the Year.

More than 30 journalist entered stories print, television and online categories.

There were more than 180 entries across 11 categories which exceeded last year’s ceremony.

Teachers strike

CPCE students, retired teachers on standby – Education Ministry

T

he Education Ministry on Monday said it will be galvanising the support of retired teachers and students of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to fall into place in the event the strike action of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) continues into the commencement of the new school term on September 3.

Addressing parents and teachers in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Monday, the Department of Public Information quoted the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Marcel Hutson as saying that the contingen-

cy plan by the Ministry will ensure that the strike action by the GTU has minimal impact on the students.

According to the CEO, there are currently 204 continuing students, 98 prospective graduates and a number of final year students at the CPCE. Those, he said, will be utilised by the Ministry to fill the gap if the need arises.

There are also monitors, coordinators and retired teachers that “we will be tapping into” along with the parents to assist in the process, the CEO disclosed.

Hutson assured parents that they need not worry about the affairs of their

children should the GTU maintain its position on industrial action.

The Ministry is on a nationwide campaign to reach out to parents and teachers, recommitting the Government’s steadfast support to the education sector in the face of the current circumstance.

Education Minister Nicolette Henry reminded the teachers and parents of the talks that the Ministry has had with the GTU during this month to come to an agreement.

The Minister said schools will be opened on September 3 and urged parents to send their children out to school.

Teachers protest in...

CEO of the RCC, Amar Panday (right) along with executives flanked by the youth ambassadors

T

he Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) has announced it will be engaging the Guyana Police Force (GPF), as it relates to the how they should approach cases where children are involved.

Chief Executive Officer of the RCC, Amar Panday, indicated on Monday that professionalism in addressing these cases which require Police attention is one of the main focuses of the Commission. The first discussions are scheduled for today.

This comes at a time when a number of youths would have benefited from their youth camp and will be able to take up the responsibility of addressing these concerns.

Recently, the camp was held from August 2-6, which sought to equip the participants with the skills which can be used to empower other youths in their communities. Venturing into the Iwokrama region, work-

shops were also held with children of the hinterlands schools.

“The Rights of the Child Commission has a work programme.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we are engaging the Police in C Division (East Coast Demerara) and for the record, the RCC has engaged the Police in all the of the other divisions, focusing on what are the professional and psychosocial roles of Police Officers when handling children cases,” Panday stated.

Panday asserted that at this time, the youth ambassadors can be part of the discussions with ranks of the GPF and they can also give their opinions from a child’s perspective.

Emphasis will also be placed on championing the rights of children and providing the vulnerable ones with protection against abuse and other social issues.

One of the ambassadors of the youth camp sought

to point out on behalf of his colleagues, that safe spaces should also be created for children to report all incidences along with confidentiality and quick response from the Force.

“As it relates to the Police Officers and the way they treat these cases, we would like to see more confidentiality and faster response with their reaction reports and complaints and to have it be dealt with in a strict manner so that the public can gain their trust and to ensure that when these complaints are made, there would be strict actions.”

Meanwhile, the Investigative Officer of the RCC, Andre Gonsalves stated, “One of the things I would really like for the youth ambassadors to take on is lobbying and supporting their right to make a complaint, not just here but also at the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) level.”

While the Government wants the yearly clothing allowance to remain at $8000, many teachers revealed that they have not received any such allowances since 2015.

The GTU is maintaining however, that they want an increase of 40 per cent.

Berbice

Meanwhile, teachers in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) say they will not back down from their strike action until Government gives them what they deserve. On Monday, the teachers picketed outside the Berbice High School where Education Minister Nicolette Henry was meeting with parents.

Chanting, “No money, no wuk” and “Teachers are important”, the teachers gathered and demonstrated.

At Fort Wellington, teachers protested in front of the Department of Education with a similar demonstration. Region Six GTU General Council representative, Paul Burnett, said teachers are the foundation of Guyana and they will ensure that their voices are heard.

“We are teachers and we are very import and we are

the foundation of Guyana and without education, our country would not be what it is today (Monday), and teachers must be applauded for that,” Burnett said.

Burnett added that teachers in Berbice are frustrated and tired of waiting for more than three years on the Education Ministry to come up with a tangible package for teachers.

Burnett noted that on Monday, some teachers turned up at the Department of Education in New Amsterdam and officials there refused to accept the keys for the respective schools.

However, some head teachers had reported that on Friday, they took keys belonging to their school to the Department of Education and the keys were accepted.

At the meeting at the Berbice High School, the Education Minister informed parents of what is the Government’s position as it relates to teachers’ salary increases and as she met with them inside, the teachers protested outside.

According to Burnette, the protesting teachers were hoping that the Minister would have met with them

From page 9

but she did not.

Linden

In Linden, the situation was no different as teachers from across Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) joined the strike action; a protest in support of calls by the GTU for an increase in salaries and other benefits was held in front of the Department of Education in the region.

Holding placards, the teachers marched from Central Mackenzie, thence to the vicinity of the Regional Department of Education and unto the Mackenzie bandstand as they sang “solidarity forever”. Regional GTU General Council representative, Ferdinand McLeod, who was part of the protest action continued calls in support of the salary increase and debunching monies on behalf of teachers.

McLeod said the protesting teachers were merely voicing their opinions and are willing to continue until desired results are obtained.

“It’s not that we don’t want to work. We work all the time. We mould everybody.

Why is it they don’t have respect for us?” he continued.

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

UN calls for Myanmar generals to be tried for Europe cannot depend genocide, blames Facebook for incitement on US for security –

M

yanmar’s military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with “genocidal intent”, and the Commander-in-Chief and five Generals should be prosecuted for the gravest crimes under international law, United Nations investigators said.

A report by investigators was the first time the United Nations has explicitly called for Myanmar officials to face genocide charges over their campaign against the Rohingya, and is likely to deepen the country’s isolation.

The investigators called for the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar, subject its officials to targeted sanctions and set up an ad hoc tribu-

French President

Christopher Sidoti, Marzuki Darusman and Radhika Coomaraswamy, members of the Independent International Fact-finding Mission on Myanmar attends a news conference on the publication of their final written report at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, August 27, 2018

nal to try suspects or refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The report also could serve as a major catalyst for change in how the world’s big social media companies handle hate speech in parts of the world where they have limited direct presence but their platforms command huge influence.

The investigators sharply criticized Facebook, which has become Myanmar’s dominant social media network despite having no employees there, for letting its platform be used to incite violence and hatred.

Facebook responded on Monday by announcing it was blocking 20 Myanmar officials and organizations found by the UN panel to

have “committed or enabled serious human rights abuses”.

The company already acknowledged this month that it had been “too slow” to respond to incitement in Myanmar, following a Reuters investigative report into its failure to tackle rampant hate speech including calls for all Rohingya to be killed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trump announces US-Mexico trade deal, setting stage for Nafta overhaul

D

onald Trump has said he will strike a new trade deal with Mexico while ripping up the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) and threatening a trade war with Canada.

“I’ll be terminating the existing deal and going into this deal,” the US president told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “We’ll be starting negotiating with Canada relatively soon.

They want to negotiate very badly.”

He added: “One way or the other, we have a deal with Canada. It’ll either be a tariff on cars or it will be a negotiated deal. Frankly, a tariff on cars is a much easier way to go but perhaps the

Donald Trump puts the Mexican President, Enrique Peña Nieto, on speakerphone to announce a deal to replace Nafta at the White House on Monday

other would be much better for Canada.”

Trump also said it might be possible to make a deal involving all three countries, like the 24-year-old

Nafta pact, but that separate bilateral agreements are also a possibility.

However, any trade deal would have to first be approved by Congress,

government as well as this government’s track-record of incompetence,” said UNC chairman, David Lee. Lee said the party’s concerns have been raised due to the failure by Caracas to meet the payments for goods sent to the South American country in recent months.

“It is therefore unacceptable and irresponsible that over one year since these questions were first posed and over two years since goods were first shipped to Venezuela manufacturers

have not been adequately compensated,” he said.

But Energy Minister, Franklin Khan, told reporters that the gas agreement was reached after “months of negotiation, serious intervention, serious sharing of information and serious sharing of economic models, to come up with an appropriate gas price.

“It is no cheap gas. It is competitively priced gas and is obviously no secret Dragon deal,” Khan said, adding that Venezuela has

and time is running out.

Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto will soon leave office and there is no guarantee his successor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will agree to the same terms.

Nafta reduced most trade barriers between the US, Mexico and Canada.

But Trump and other critics say it encouraged US manufacturers to move south of the border to exploit lowwage Mexican labour.

With typical showmanship, the President invited reporters into the Oval Office, where he called Nieto by speakerphone, but aides had to offer the president their technical help.

“Hello?!” Trump said into the machine at one point.

France's President Emmanuel Macron

T

he European Union must stop depending on the United States for security and must now rely on its own military forces for protection, France's President Emmanuel Macron said.

In a speech to French ambassadors on Monday, Macron said he would put forward new proposals to the EU to boost security and that all European nations, including Russia, should be involved in discussions on defence cooperation.

"Europe cannot rely on the United States only for its security," he said. "It is up to us to meet our responsibilities and guarantee our security."

Since his election in May 2017, the 40-year-old leader has campaigned for a more integrated EU with a common defence budget and security doctrine.

During the speech, Macron said cooperation with Russia should occur on the condition that progress is made with Moscow on the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Paris is pushing for full

implementation of the 2015 Minsk peace agreement that was sponsored by France and Germany to settle the conflict in Ukraine, which has killed at least 10,000 people since 2014.

In November, EU countries launched an unprecedented programme of joint military investment aimed at confronting EU security challenges. Twenty-three of the 28-member states signed up to the plan.

Macron called on Europe to be "a trade and economic power" that defends its strategic interests and financial independence with tools that can fend off US extraterritorial sanctions.

"Multilateralism is going through a major crisis which collides with all our diplomatic activity, above all because of US policy," he said.

Macron also criticised US President Donald Trump's "aggressive" isolationism.

"The partner with whom Europe built the post-World War order appears to be turning its back on this shared history," the French president said. (Aljazeera)

Morocco shock at ‘Khadija T&T defends gas agreement with Venezuela brutal rape ordeal’

T

he Trinidad and Tobago Government has brushed aside criticisms relating to the new gas agreement it signed with Venezuela over the weekend, even as the main opposition United National Congress (UNC) called for the terms regarding the price of gas under the accord to be made public.

“We in the Opposition were always concerned with this agreement given the economic hardship being experienced by the Venezuelan

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

the largest oil reserves in the world, larger than Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States and has the fifth largest gas reserves in the world that Trinidad can benefit from.

“It’s a win-win situation, especially since we in Trinidad face challenges on the supply side,” he said, noting that Trinidad and Tobago has world-class gas infrastructure through which Venezuela can monetise its gas. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Barbados to boost sugar cane production

S

ugar production in Barbados must increase to meet the rum industry’s demands for local molasses and Agriculture Minister Indar Weir, outlined Government’s intention to address the situation with phased levels of increased sugar cane production over the next three to five years.

Speaking to the media while at the Foursquare Rum Distillery, he stated that there has already been a rise in the yield this year over that of 2017, with a similar picture to be painted in the next few years.

Disclosing that he has already been in talks with the sugar producers, he said various ways would be

looked at to increase local molasses production.

During the tour of the facility, Managing Director Richard Seale pointed out that while currently 8000 tonnes of molasses are produced by the sugar cane industry, 90 per cent of the molasses necessary for rum production has to be imported.

Outlining that the rum industry has a critical role to play in the Barbadian economy due to its high value added component, he underlined that it would not require as much foreign exchange for inputs as other sectors as long as the molasses production on the island went up. (Excerpt from Barbados Advocate)

M

oroccans are expressing shock on social media at the details given by a 17-yearold of her rape ordeal. In a TV interview last week, the young woman, being named as Khadija, said she was abducted by a gang in June, held for two months, sexually assaulted and tortured.

She also showed scars, cigarette burns and tattoos on her body, which she said were given to her by her captors. Many women in Morocco are the victims of violence, human rights groups say.

More than 20 per cent of Moroccan women have been sexually abused at least once in their lives, Morocco’s National Human Rights Council reported in 2015. In response to the TV interview, which has been posted on YouTube, thousands have signed an online petition calling for help for Khadija.

People are also us-

ing the hashtag #JusticePourKhadija to describe their disgust and horror and calling on the authorities to take action.

“I want justice for what they did to me,” she told Moroccan station Chouf TV, the Huffington Post reports.

“I tried to escape several times, but I was caught and beaten. They tortured me, they did not give me food or drink, and they did not even allow me to take a shower.”

Speaking with her head covered to disguise her identity, Khadija rolled up her sleeves to show multiple tattoos, including a swastika, that her captors had given her.

At least three suspects have been arrested in connection with the allegations, AFP news agency reports. In 2014, Morocco’s Parliament amended an article of the penal code that allowed rapists of underage girls to avoid prosecution by marrying their victims. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018

ARCHIE

Take a moment to consider how you will influence oth(March 21- ers with your words or acApril 19) tions. Don’t let your emotions take charge when it comes to matters that can affect your status or reputation.

ARIES

A chance to improve your TAURUS life is heading your way.

(April 20- Don’t dismiss someone or May 20) something due to fear of failure. Give it your all and don’t look back.

dilbert

Think, plan and follow GEMINI Helping oth(May 21- through. ers will bring unexpected June 20) benefits. A personal pick-meup will lead to compliments and a social invitation.

Hone your skills. Pursue something that encourages (June 21- you to invest more time and July 22) money to get ahead. Consider your skills and attributes and use them strategically.

CANCER

Peanuts

You’ll be tempted to make LEO a change that hasn’t been (July 23- thought through. Don’t take Aug. 22) on what you cannot finish.

Bide your time and focus on personal improvements.

Don’t give up on your VIRGO dreams. Talk to experts to (Aug. 23find out what you need to do Sept. 22) to boost your efforts. Improve your skills, knowledge and qualifications.

Calvin and Hobbes

Speak kindly and be conLIBRA (Sept. 23- siderate of those under presOct. 23) sure. Dismiss negativity and offer a positive and uplifting message to improve the dynamics of important relationships.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY’S WORD – LOCOMOTION (LOCOMOTION: lo-kuh-MO-shun: The act of moving from one place to another.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Average mark 24 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 36 or more words in LOCOMOTION? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD – CONCUSSION cisco coco coin concuss conic conn conscious cousin

onion onus noon noun nuncio union unison scion

sinus sonic soon sunn icon incus

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Be more diverse in how SCORPIO you do things. There is al(Oct. 24ways a cheaper and more efNov. 22) ficient way to bring about change. Choose moderation and simplicity in all your pursuits.

solution for last published puzzle

Pay more attention to what’s going on at home.

Communication will help you understand what loved ones expect and what they are willing to give you in return. Romance is on the rise.

Don’t make excuses. If CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- something needs to be done, Jan. 19) get busy and put it behind you. Keeping up with your responsibilities will help clear the way for more pleasurable moments with loved ones.

It’s up to you to bring AQUARIUS about the changes you want (Jan. 20- to make. Check your financFeb. 19) es and budget wisely. Discuss your plans with your partner or anyone affected by the choices you make.

Connect with people you PISCES (Feb. 20- have worked with in the past, March 20) or start a joint venture with someone who complements you and the skills you have to offer.

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tuesDAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

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TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

Selection for Windies teams…

– the process is on course

“W

hen a player reveals they are reading more, and that they are committed to self-motivation training and you have seen improved performances, that tells you that some our players are committing themselves to playing the best cricket for West Indies. Ideally, a selector wants a player that is a self-starter and while that mostly is not the case,” Chairman of Selectors, Courtney Browne, sees the process he and his team are employing, over time, will work towards the benefit of West Indies Cricket.

Browne also feels that what will help to drive more consistent performances from our players, is having a second tier of well-prepared players to put selection pressure on the incumbent players. However, this can only be achieved by having a well-organized Franchise system with pre-season and off-season programs to enhance and improve the standard of play and play-

ers within the region. This would complement the amount of cricket being played, in different formats, by increasing the quality of play by the pool of players that are available.

Starting September this year, West Indies will play India and Bangladesh away; they will return home to face England and India; the oneday team will participate in the Cricket World Cup, May to July next year and there are several other tours to come. That means the selectors will be under pressure to assemble the best units to represent in the different formats. Additionally, there will be World Cup for Under 19s in 2020 and the 2020 World Twenty20 Championship.

That is a lot of cricket and Browne and his team will have to ensure that each team has a fair chance to be competitive and win. Since the West Indies made its international debut as a Test playing nation in 1928, there is one issue that attracted

the most talk “selection” and today, nine decades later, that has not changed.

Browne is adamant that his team has the right approach to the process and with the approach presently being used, he thinks the performance of the teams will improve steadily.

We asked Browne, what were some of the thoughts that came to mind when he thinks of his role as the Chairman of Selectors for West Indies Cricket. We made him write them down, so we have evidence. It was a mix of adjectives and phrases – they include teamwork, challenging, getting the fans to understand the process, teaching and learning and rewarding.

As a follow up, we asked about the preparation and

you will find the process interesting. Browne emphasized “research.” He expanded by highlighting this as a process. The obvious thing to collect is current data on the players; however, an important part of the overall process includes History of players, Venues the players play on, teams the players play against, the tour the team/player is about to play in, Attitude of the player, Commitment, dedication and discipline and Fitness.

Those are just some of the key success factors for a player to get into a squad.

What Browne emphasized that ideally “a player is required to show consistent performances for at least a two-year period (ideally three) to be placed in the elite squad. And then the player is managed based

on the role they play in the team over time.

Browne likes the work he and his team does, similar to that of a Human Resource Manager as the process of selection and deselection is really one which looks at performances over a period and how the players adapt; and whether the team is able to win matches, series and looking ahead, World Cup and World Championship, where applicable.

The role of Chairman is one with a high volume of administrative work and this current team, led by Browne looks at: scheduling of selectors for all tournaments at the senior and age-group levels; periodic reports, evaluation and updates for all categories of players in keeping with contractual obligations, player issues with West Indies Players Association (WIPA); periodic updates to the Board of Directors and media appearances.

With the long list of tours to come for men and women, the Selection Panel is on the

Courtney Browne

road and with the Women’s World T20 Championship to come in November; the men’s team to tour India and Bangladesh before end of 2018; the pressure is on.

Browne, who is in St Vincent and the Grenadines for the West Indies Under 19 Championship. The tournament is a two-format event with the teams playing 3Day and 50-overs. Trinidad and Tobago won the 3Day version so far.

In part II of this series, Browne looks ahead to the CWC 2019 and we will have a look at how the panel will look to narrow a squad of 18 with less than 280 days to go. WINDIES Men qualified from a tournament in Zimbabwe in March this year.

94 clubs benefit from Foster/Beharry ball drive A

nother 23 cricket clubs in Berbice benefitted from donation of cricket balls as the Berbice Cricket Board wrapped up the distribution of over G$1.1M worth of white and red cricket balls to clubs in the ancient county.

The donation was a direct result of the effort of former Berbice Cricket Board President (BCB), Anil Beharry who raised the necessary funds to purchase the balls for the board.

The project was the brainchild of current BCB President, Hilbert Foster who on his election in February 2018, promised to assist every club in Berbice with at least one box of balls before the end of the year (2018). On April 29, 2018, Foster launched the project with a donation of cricket balls to 22 clubs at the cost of G$300,000. The final donation was done on Saturday August 18 at the Albion Sports Complex with eight clubs from Upper Corentyne, one from Lower Corentyne and fourteen from West Berbice being the latest recipients. The Upper Corentyne Cricket Association also received a box of cricket balls.

Foster at the simple presentation was full of praises for his longtime friend

Berbice Cricket Board President Hilbert Foster (left), Anil Beharry (right) and Robby Saywack (3rd from right) pose with representatives of some of the clubs with the donated cricket balls

Beharry who worked beyond the call of duty to make the project a huge success.

Foster, proudly announced that it was the first time that any cricket board in Guyana has ever undertaken such a massive project and that many more similar ones would be done in the future as great efforts are made to assist clubs to fulfill their mandates.

There are also plans on stream to assist clubs with white tee-shirts in another project and Foster urged the clubs to get organized in order to take advantage of the numerous opportunities.

Beharry, who served as BCB President from December 2014 to January 2016, stated that Berbice Cricket would always be close to his heart, despite now living in Georgetown due to work committment.

He stated that he was delighted to be of assistance to the Foster-led board because it was visionary, committed and enjoyed the confidence of almost every Berbician.

The veteran Cricket Administrator who also served as the Berbice Cricket Board Treasurer for over a decade, stated that

Berbice Cricket would have died a natural death if no new leadership was put in place.

Beharry praised the outstanding work of the Berbice Cricket Board since its election on February 18 and pledged his future support as he strongly believes that sport is a safe avenue for youths to be involved in.

Among the Clubs receiving balls were Blairmont, Achievers, D’Edward, Cotton Tree, Bush Lot United, Rising Star, Paradise, Bath, Rainbow Generation, Hopetown and Shieldstown.

Beharry would like to express gratitude to Surelan Sawh, Brian Chunilall, Noreen Gaskin, Friend of Berbice Cricket, Yasin Mohamed, Randall Patterson, Derrick Beharry, Yadram Bojh, Kalvin Sourah, Tribhowan Mohabir, Ian and Ryan Bhagwandin, Renrick Batson, Bobby and Pamela Kewlochand, R & M RebelsMathura, Gummel Mattai, Danny Somai, Faizal Jaffarally, Sharmila Muneshwar, Javed Raffik, Sean Devers, Bhim George, Jeffrey Somaroo, Jack Beharry, Vijai Dass, Leanna Bachan, Imran Saccoor,

Alan Mangru, Rakesh Sooppersaud, Nazim Hussain, Owen Humphrey and Surendra Hiralall for their contributions to the project.

Meanwhile, President Foster announced that long time sponsor of the BCB, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh is so impressed with the handling of his funds and sponsored programmes by the board that he is willing to discuss funding over a three years span. In response, the BCB promised to submit a comprehensive proposal to Dr Singh for the period 2019 to 2021.

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sports

Beaton believes IKU World Cup 2019 will be better I n a recent press conference held by Director Christopher Jones at the National Sports Commission (NSC), a large quantity of items were handed over to the Guyana Karate Federation’s (GKF’s) President Amir Khouri; and Guyana Times Sport had the pleasure of the presence of GKF Vice President Keith Beaton, current twotime silver medalist.

He achieved this feat by competing in the International Karate Daigaku World Cup 2018 held at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in Barbados from August 17-19.

Representing Guyana, Beaton competed in the male individual 40-49

Keith Beaton

Kumite, and team Kumite 40-49 alongside Malcolm Francis and Patrick Gurahoo. He secured two silver medals to his name.

Before the team had departed, Beaton, Guyana’s

sparring coach for the Guyana Shotakan Karate Club, practised five days a week for hours. He even added the weekends so he could be in tip-top shape for the tournament.

Entering the competition with confidence and with steady nerves, he fought to his heart’s content, and made his nation proud in coming home.

Asked if he would be competing again, Beaton said, “I will be; next year Guyana will be hosting the International Karate Daigaku World Cup 2019 in August somewhere around the 12th -15th, we‘ll be having a lot of preparations in hosting the Caribbean championships, which is

21

r e host4 0 0

sponsible for ing more than participants”.

Beaton w a s p o s i tive there would be an advantage with Guyana hosting the 2019 IKD World Cup, and believes the home crowd’s backing will give them the motivation needed to push and let the home team be successful.

Beaton later went on to state that he would be competing in the 84 kg division on September 30 at the Senior National Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) and is encouraging everyone to come out and show the support.

Guinness Cage Street Ball C/ship…

Greatest showdown approaches

W

ith one of the biggest showdowns in the history of football quickly approaching its climax, the Haslington Market Tarmac is the place to be on Friday, August 31, as the Guinness Cage Street Ball Championships approach their final stages.

The wait has been long, and eager fans have dreamt of this moment when they would be able to see their favourite team make it to the finals.

As at August 24, fans were pumped, while some were at a loss for words, as the round of 16 and quarterfinal leg of the tournament concluded. With many good teams making in through the round of 16, such as Leopold Street, Ol Skool Ballers, Avocado Ballers and Sparta Boss, thrilling quarterfinal matches were promised.

Eventually, the quarterfinals concluded, and as expected, the Sparta Boss Team, Leopold Street, Broad Street and Uprising all secured a spot in the upcoming semi-finals. Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Coordinator of the Guinness Cage Street Ball Championship, Rawle Welch, mentioned having some favourite teams that he would like to make in to the championship round. Sparta Boss and Leopold Street were two of the teams desired, as they each carry a large fan base.

Welch said he would love for Sparta Boss to win. Even though they may not be in form, he wants them to play with all their heart, but the othppppppother teams must watch out for Leopold Street.

The contradiction comes when both teams will have to face each other in the semis this on Saturday at the Haslington Market Tarmac.

Part of the action in the ongoing Guinness Cage Street Ball Championships

If both teams were to be assessed statistically, based on their performance in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, one would say Sparta Boss has the advantage over Leopold Street. Sparta triumphed over Back Circle 1-0 in the round of 16; and over Avocado Ballers 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

Both goals were scored within the ninth minute of the game, and the teams were able to maintain a lead. Leopold, on the other, were matched up against Albouystown in the round of 16, at the end of the fulltime they were 1-1 which led to a penalty shootout in which they secured victory 2-1. In the quarterfinals, they were matched up against the experience of Ol Skool Ballers, and the game ended 0-0. Aagain a penalty shootout was the deciding factor, and they were victorious 1-0. With Leopold Street only being able to score penalties to secure victory and Sparta boss declaring their dominance

early in the match, the stats clearly speak for themselves.

Sparta must maintain their form to defeat Leopold Street, and if Leopold Street want to be victorious, they must play more offensively and be able to keep the lead.

Only the best will survive this heated battle to secure their space in the finals.

Among the entities in support of the cause are Banks DIH under its Guinness and Power Wine brands, Clarks footwear giants Chetsons, E- Networks Inc., KSM Investments, Yhip’s Bakery, Brass Aluminum & Cast Iron Foundry [BACIF], Ray’s Auto Sales, Insurance Brokers Guyana Limited [IGBL], Y.K. Investments, Trophy Stall, Express Shipping, Woodpecker Products, National Sports Commission, ‘C’ Division of the Guyana Police Force, Jai Signs & Auto Designs, Gaming Authority, Julius Variety Store, and C & C Prestigious Styles.

Windies Under-19 C/Ship…

Guyana wins to set up Windwards battle

K

imani Melius hit a commanding hundred to carry Windward Islands to a comfortable victory, but stunning defeats for the tournament front-running pair of Guyana and Barbados captured the headlines and set up an intriguing final round in the WINDIES Under-19 Championship on Monday.

In one of the two key matches however, Rivaldo Ramlogan was the pick of the

bowlers, as T&T set back the Guyanese bid for a fifth straight title with a four-wicket win.

At the Arnos Vale Sports Complex: Ramlogan grabbed 3-27 from 9.5 overs, as Guyana were bowled out for 116 in 37.5 overs.

Kevelon Anderson hit the top score of 42, but no other batsman reached 20, as the Guyanese batting failed to ignite.

No T&T batsman

distinguished himself, but they collectively inched their way past the target with 133 balls remaining.

Meanwhile, Melius, the highly-regarded WINDIES Under-19 batsman, anchored the Windwards’ batting with a boundary-studded 102 that paved the way for his side’s 93run victory over Canada in the sixth and penultimate round of the competition.

And in the other pivotal

match, a tidy all-round performance from former WINDIES Under-15 all-rounder Raewin Senior topped a destructive spell from Camarie Boyce to set up Jamaica for a sensational three-wicket victory over the Barbadians.

In the final round of matches on Wednesday, Windwards face Guyana at Arnos Vale, Leeward Islands meet Barbados at Park Hill and T&T tackle Jamaica at Sion Hill.

22 Johnson, GCA collaborate to bring One-Day Clinic W

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

clubs, and young batsmen and bowlers between the ages of 15 and 18. Johnson further explained, “I had approached an executive from the GCA about a year ago, but as I said, due to national team commitments, inclement weather and ground availability, the clinic was hampered from going ahead.

But now that the weather seems to be f a vourable and the kids are off of school, we have decided to go ahead with it. I hope to make it an annual even and reach out to a larger amount of clubs across Guyana”.

Leon Johnson

est Indies left-handed middle order batsman and Guyana Jaguars fourday captain, Leon Johnson, has joined forces with the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) to hold a one-day bowling clinic on August 30 from 9:00h to 15:00h.

Asked by Guyana Times Sport why he decided to be a major sponsor for the clinic, Johnson said,” It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, a form of giving back to clubs in the association that I’ve grown up playing in. when I was younger, I was given the same opportunities to learn and develop, so it’s only right that I give young talented players those same opportunities”.

The clinic is meant to target GCA- associated

Players are asked to dress in all white cricket suits, or track pants and a white top with no sleeves.

GCA-associated clubs are asked to make contact with the relevant superiors.

Johnson made his first class debut when he was called up to the national side in 2003-04 season. With a first class batting average of 32.62, Johnson was by no means an ordinary player. In the 2007-08 domestic season, he scored 427 runs from 6 matches at an average of 42.70 for Guyana in the Carib Beer Series.

He fell six runs short of his maiden first-class century on March 7, 2008

when he edged a wide delivery from off-spinner Shirley Clarke against Combined Campuses and Colleges.

The innings was his highest score of the season. Johnson is currently the Guyana Jaguars four-time four-day captain.

The promising signs were enough for the West Indies selectors to choose him for the ODI tri-series in Canada later that year. He impressed with a half-century in his second match.

He later earned a call-up to the Test squad to New Zealand.

Noble House Seafood 2nd Division…

Ali-Mohamed’s all-round performance steers GCC to victory

F

ormer Windies U-19 all-rounder Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed steered the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) to a landslide victory over the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) by a whopping innings and 177 runs on Sunday at Bourda.

Their two-day Noble House Seafoods second division match wrapped up just after tea on the final day. Batting first, DCC fell to a meagre 91 all out, with Daniel Mootoo (22), Alphius Bookie (17) and Garrick Persaud (17) offering no resistance as Ali-Mohammed bagged 5-24.

Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed

GCC then responded with a challenging total of 267-7 declared before AliMohamed played his strokefilled 105, which included 10 boundaries and 3 sixes.

He also had support from left-handed batsman Marlon Persaud, who hit four boundaries in his supporting roll of 56; Khemraj Jaikarran, 39, and Kennard Moonsammy, 28, added useful runs to the tally as Keanu Harry took 2-33.

Having being given a total, DCC were sent in to bat as their second innings progressed, but to no avail, even with resistance from

Harry who made 27, 21 from Mootoo and 16 from Bookie.

DCC still fell to 99 all out, with Chetram Persaud taking 3-15, Stephon Wilson 3-30 and Deonarine Seegobin 2-11, thus bowling them to an easy victory.

Hero CPL 2018…

Green replaces Malik for remainder of season

S

Chris Green celebrates with Imran Tahir

hoaib Malik will be returning to Pakistan to link up with his national team for a training camp ahead of the Asia Cup, as a result Chris Green will be staying on with the squad for the rest of the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Green originally joined the Amazon Warriors squad as cover for Cameron Delport but he will now stay with the team until the end of the tourmament.

Green has impressed for the Guyanese franchise so far in this year’s Hero CPL picking up five wickets with

an excellent economy rate of 6.5 runs per over. He also made an important contribution with the bat in the win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots where he made 25 not out.

The Amazon Warriors are currently fourth place in the Hero CPL standings with three wins from their first five matches.

The top four teams at the end of the group stage will make it into the knockout phase of the tournament with the final taking place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on 16 September.

BV defends home turf in 8th of May league

T

he place to have been on Saturday evening was the Beterverwagting (BV) playground as the BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement hosted the finals of their Emancipation Cohesion Football League.

The league has been heating up over the past few weeks, with many of the favorite teams slated to compete for not only cash and prizes, but also bragging rights on the final night.

The penultimate clash of the night saw two consistent teams going head to head for the third place trophy. The teams, from Mahaica and Tucville, put on an excellent encounter with a showcase of professionalism in ball control, communication and passing.

With the encounter already shortened to 80 minutes, both teams were fixed on being the first to score, knowing that it would present an advantage over their opponent.

Twenty one minutes into the game, and Leon Richardson connected the ball with the back of the net to give the Tucville team the lead.

Little did either side know Richardson’s goal was the winning, and that Mahaica would be unable to score despite their best efforts. The 1-0 result in Tucville’s favour mean that they would lift the third place trophy and walk away with the BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement/ Gladstone O Benjamin, Bronze Award

prize of $150,000.

The final matchup was truly fitting for the title, with a competitive 90 minutes of play. Both teams had gone through the tournament undefeated, and the clash was highly anticipated by the vibrant crowd.

Eastveldt seemed bent on upsetting the home team BV, and every player seemed to have lay down their lives for the right to be crowned champions. The passion, skill, strategy and teamwork were a beauty to behold, as both teams gave of their best on the day, taking the 90 minutes encounter into half time at 0-0.

On resumption, and just three minutes into the second half, Junior Alleyne made a desperate but smart move from the right wing to create an opening in Eastveldt’s defence, then immediately finish the play with a stunning right boot past the Eastveldt goal-keeper’s grasp. It seemed to bore the goal net, registering BV’s first goal of the match.

Alleyne’s goal threw the fans into a frenzy and catapulted the electric atmosphere to new heights for the remainder of the match.

The never say die approach of Eastveldt in its effort to create an equalizer and take the match into extra time was frustrated by the BV team; and their supporters, and subsequently in despair, Eastveldt seemingly folded

as BV’s Omari Glasgow, with 9 minutes of scheduled time remaining, showed what BV players are made of, when he “miloed” the goal net, to inadvertently declare BV, as the inaugural BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement/ Bakewell Gold Crown Champions, and the right to walk away with $350,000.

Eastveldt, having then suffered their only loss in the league, appeared to acknowledge their demise in the finals, to a team that played better football on the day, BV. Eastveldt received the BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement/ Lloyd WP Britton Silver Honour prize of $250,000.

In a fleet of special awards, Ian Dooker of BV walked away with the ‘doving skill’ prizeof $20,000 and a trophy after he defeated Mahaica’s Joseph Defreitas in the U20 skill exercise final.

The BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement later revealed that U20 players Trevon Adams (Mahaica), Ian Dooker and Omari Glasgow (BV) are the three beneficiaries of the Academic/Vocational Awards sponsored by Restoration Opportunities through Christ (ROC).

These awards are worth $180,000 each for the period September, 2018 to August 2019, at a value of $15,000 monthly, and are to assist in aiding the holistic development of the youngsters.

guyanatimesgy.com

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

23

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Warriors tackle the Patriots A

fter the tournament has already passed its halfway stage, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors

Premier League (CPL) continues.

Of course, the Warriors have faced a major blow after captain Shoaib Malik

Devon Thomas

face each other once again at the Warner Park in St Kitts, today as the Hero Caribbean

has departed for duties with the Pakistan Cricket Team.

Malik is among the top scor-

ers for Warriors with 119 runs, only the second batsman to pass the 100-run mark following 5 innings.

Without a doubt, the task may fall on the shoulders of Rayad Emrit who has led the Amazon Warriors before.

Head to head, Warriors and Patriots have battled six times, with the Guyanese winning four of those matches.

The Patriots are coming off a handsome six-wicket win in the last match against Barbados Tridents.

After Anton Devcich and Ben Cutting restricted the Tridents to a mere 147, the Patriots chased down the total with relative ease.

Although Mohammad Irfan starred with two wickets, conceding only one run in his four overs, a charge led by Brandon King and equally supported by Ben Cutting helped the Patriots to gain two points.

As for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, things were starkly opposite, as they lost by six wickets against St Lucia Stars.

Their batsmen tried hard but could not connect the ball sweetly. Things could never get going, as they ended up at 140 for nine.

Newly recruited Veerasammy Permaul then made some inroads, but those were not enough for the Warriors to get back in the match.

They would expect the opening pair of Chadwick

U19 Hockey Boys Camp concludes ‒ prep continues for 2020 Junior Pan Am C/ships

T

hirty-six young hockey players were fortunate enough to have participate a part of a developmental camp which would have sought to improve their skills and talents.

The two-week camp was conducted during the August holidays, because the participants are Under 19 and the time-off from school would ensure their commitment to this program.

The camp focused on the individual techniques required to execute skills such as elimination, defending, passing and receiving, two versus one, goal-keeping and penalty corners.

The two-week initiative was spearheaded by National Hockey Coach Robert Fernandes, who received assistance from Jamarj Assanah, a member of the senior National Team.

According to the coordinators, the camp is the first step towards identifying a group of players

Robert Fernandes

who will make up the national junior squad which is scheduled to commence training shortly for the 2020 Junior Pan American Championships.

Speaking on the talent they have witnessed, National Coach Fernandes noted that he is excited to continue working with the bunch for various reasons.

“I think the camp was

a great success. Although some of the players may not have the skills needed at the moment, those things can be learned.

“What I did see was an abundance of astonishing athleticism and internally motivated individuals who have exhibited a hunger to become exceptional; those are things you can’t teach people. This makes me very excited to work with this group over the next two years,” the coach said.

In an attempt to assess what was learnt during the two-week activity, the teenage participants were involved in a mini- tournament on the final day, and were later treated to lunch compliments of Antonio’s Grille.

The National Junior boys training team is scheduled to be selected in a short matter of time, the Junior Women’s programme is also scheduled to commence sometime in the near future.

Shoaib Malik (left) and Rayad Emrit

Walton and Luke Ronchi to fire, but after five innings, neither of the two has an aggregate over 90. Shimron Hetmyer has also been in silken touch, and the previous failure can be considered as a one-off.

With the ball, Veerasammy Permaul has given them a new hope, while Sohail Tanvir and Imran Tahir remain the front-runners.

As for the Patriots, Sandeep Lamichhane could not do well in the last match, and would be eager to bounce back. All-rounders Ben Cutting and Anton Devcich have been doing well with both bat and ball.

Skipper Chris Gayle and Brandon King too are expected to go big.

Expected playing XI St Kitts & Nevis Patriots- Chris Gayle (C), Evin Lewis, Devon

Thomas, Brandon King, Tom Cooper, Anton Devcich, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mahmudullah, Ben Cutting, Sheldon Cottrell, Carlos Brathwaite Guyana Amazon Warriors- Chadwick Walton, Luke Ronchi (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Cameron Delport, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Mohammed, Sohail Tanvir, Chris Green, Rayad Emrit, Keemo Paul, Imran Tahir

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

guyanatimesgy.com

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Warriors tackle the Patriots Page 23

U19 Hockey Boys Camp concludes Page 23

‒ prep continues for 2020 Junior Pan Am C/ships Camp participants pose with National coach Robert Fernandes (in green shirt) upon conclusion of the Under 19 camp

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Guyana Times journalists shine at GPA awards P16

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Issue No. 3669

PRICE

Local Govt Commission

WHAT'S INSIDE:

PNCR executive should resign as Chairman – former Minister

...cites conflict of interest

$80 vat included

Jagdeo, Granger to meet this week on Top Cop’s P10 appointment

Page 3

GDF rank gun-butted, robbed

Teen found guilty of killing East P15 Canje “bad” man

Page 2

Better wages strike

Teachers protest in front of President’s office

City Hall removes more bus parks

P2

GWI in talks with Finance Ministry to establish mini labs

…as major lab receives certification P14

…Union unlikely to meet for conciliation talks today …CPCE students on standby – Minister Pages 9&16 During the first day of strike action planned by the Guyana Teachers' Union, teachers on Monday battled through the scorching sun, protesting in front of the Ministry of the Presidency, on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, demanding better wages and working conditions

Murdered 3-year-old died from stab wound to the heart Page 7

…CC&PA claims 3 visits made to family

Minibus fare increase another burden – FITUG Page 14

Emotions flare as ex-soldier jailed for P8 killing friend

Guyana Goldfields to lay off Greenfield P15 workers ‒ rehiring to be based only on transferable skills

2 news

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

City Hall removes more bus parks T he Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has removed more minibus parks to accommodate vendors of the Stabroek Market Wharf, which collapsed a few weeks ago.

Guyana Times understands the Route 41 (Stabroek to South) and 46 (Durban, Lodge) minibuses were greeted to a barricaded park when they turned up to work.

The drivers argued that they were never served a notice nor were they consulted.

Odel Thom, a conductor, who operates in the South park told Guyana Times on Monday that the move by City Hall will cause financial difficulties for operators.

“Right now we losing.

Bus transportation, it really inconveniencing. First

A section of the cordoned bus park

thing, it ain’t even got park to park up hay suh. Watch de parking spot, watch. All this hay suh is different bus.

It got 41 bus, Forty-six. It’s really inconveniencing and

how they so disrespectful they ain’t even inform us as drivers you understand.

Remember people got to go to work, people got to go home from children got to

go to school (in the next few days), things got to buy you understand meh and them just come jus suh. At least we wudda glad if they wudda tell we something. Call we before or make a place proper for we park, cause watch hay is bare corruption,” an irate Thom said.

He also complained that the traffic is congested in the area, since drivers are now operating just beside the barricades placed by M&CC. Another operator, Jamal Simon, said, “All they got to do is inform people in how they does do things. You do things jus so drastic like fuss. If they inform people ‘today you gun be inconvenienced for certain thing’ everybody would be more better. They need to be more responsible… remember now everybody ain’t got the luxury to get car and them thing. They gah be more respectable to people them on de road.”

Solomon (only name given), a driver who plies his trade via the GuyhocStabroek route said the park was blocked off since last week. He added that the M&CC should have found a suitable place to relocate the bus drivers, since

the area is already crowded.

City Hall first removed the route 42 (DiamondGrove) minibuses earlier in August.

They were later placed at Bugle Street, Georgetown where drivers complained about their safety.

The Timehri buses, also of the 42-zone, were later removed and placed on High Street, where they also complained about their safety.

President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews has since said he views City Hall’s move as “visionless” and “ridiculous”.

“I think it was ridiculous. I think it is visionless… it is either corruption, mismanagement, thoughtlessness and probably not feelings for anybody but themselves,” he stated.

Several attempts made by this newspaper to contact the authorities at City Hall were unsuccessful.

GDF rank gun-butted, robbed

A

n 18-year-old member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was on Saturday morning gun-butted and robbed at about 01:30h, as he was making his way from a birthday party in Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Gershon Sproston of Kuru Kururu was returning home when he was attacked by a lone gunman from behind, who struck him several times to his head with a gun before carting off with two cellular phones valued $50,000.

A report was later made to the Kuru Kururu Police Outpost where investigations are said to be ongoing.

The teenager was later accompanied to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre by his mother, Phyllis Sproston, where he was treated and sent away.

Sproston’s brothers, Judah and Jahrael, related to Guyana Times that

Robbed: Gershon Sproston

he was later taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital after his head began to swell and he was experiencing pain. Just last week, Glen Ramdass was attacked by two gunmen at his Lot 33 Kuru Kururu home. The gunmen escaped with noth-

ing after the man managed to raise an alarm.

Earlier this month, at about 04:30h, the lifeless body of 46-year-old legal clerk Gregory Frank, also called “Wayne”, was found lying face down in a pool of blood in the sitting room of his home at Lot 686 Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

The man was suspected to have been killed during a robbery.

A post-mortem examination performed on the body of Frank determined that the man died as a result of asphyxiation due to compression injury to the neck compounded by blunt trauma to the head.

Residents of Kuru Kururu have expressed concern due to the increased number of crimes in the area; as such, a call has been made for more frequent Police patrols in the evening.

news

3

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, August 28 – 05:00h-06:30h and Wednesday, August 29 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, August 28 – 05:20h-06:50h and Wednesday, August 29 – 06:00h-07:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, with clear skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Southerly to East North-easterly and Northeasterly to Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 05:32h and 17:50h reaching maximum heights of 2.69 metres and 2.66 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:26h and 23:41h reaching minimum heights of 0.54 metre and 0.53 metre respectively.

Local Govt Commission

PNCR executive should resign as Chairman – former Minister

...cites conflict of interest

T

he election of Chairman of the Local Government Commission (LGC), Mortimer Mingo, to the executive of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) last week, is not sitting well with Opposition members, who see this move as a conflict of interest.

In an interview with Guyana Times, former Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud pointed out the importance of the Chairman being as unbiased towards a particular party as possible.

“It is clear now that as a central committee member of the PNC, he’s in

Former Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud

you to act impartially, without influence or bias. And I’m not sure, being in the executive of the PNC that

“It will have serious conflict of interest and it can cause the commission to act on the direction of the PNC and the PNC council.

I think that the decent thing for him to do would be to give up on one, because they conflict” – former Minister

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the decision-making body of that party and obviously when the issue of Local Government comes up on that agenda of that party’s deliberation at the central level, then he will have opinions and views influenced by information to which he was privileged, being Chairman of the Local Government Commission,” Persaud said.

“So I think, right away, that the information resources at the Local Government Commission will be compromised by the chair being an executive member of PNC. Because that is not like being a party member… party member is different from being in the leadership of your party.”

Persaud expressed concerns that because of this conflict of interest, the Commission’s interests may be subsumed with those of the PNC party.

Considering the scope of the Commission’s power, including disciplining local politicians, Ganga noted the need for Mingo to choose.

“It will have serious conflict of interest and it can cause the Commission to act on the direction of the PNC and the PNC council. I think that the decent thing for him to do would be to give up on one, because they conflict.”

“The Commission is not just any other organisation.

The Commission requires

will help his quest to be fair and transparent.”

The Commission is charged with, among other things, control over who gets appointed as officials in the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and other local authorities. In addition, it would have to approve budgets for the NDCs. By law, the Commission

is to be made up of eight members. The members of the Commission include four nominated from the Government, one from the unions and three nominees from the Leader of the Opposition.

The Commission was sworn in last year October, after a lengthy delay. The parliamentary Opposition had named its nominees to the Local Government Commission since 2016.

However, since the Government did not submit its nominees, this resulted in a deadlock.

The Commission’s members are Chairman, Mortimer Mingo; Clement Corlette; Marlon Williams; Jo Ann Romascindo; Andrew Garnett; former Local Government Ministers Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore; and former Georgetown Town Clerk, Carol Sooba.

There are a number of controversies in the Local Government system, which

Local Government Commission Chairman and PNC executive, Mortimer Mingo

have been in the public domain for some time. One such issue includes previous reports that in some Local Authority Areas, officials are being appointed without any vacancy being advertised. In addition, there have been reports that young, qualified applicants are being overlooked in favour of others.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

GPL woes O

ver the past few months, the complaints coming from various sections of the population, including private citizens and business, about constant power outages have increased dramatically. In fact, recently there have been several letters to the editor where persons expressed their frustration over prolonged periods of blackouts in their communities with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) doing very little to assuage the concerns of residents.

Businesses especially in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) have also been very vocal about the huge negative impact the prolonged periods of blackouts have had on their operations. However, officials of the power company have done very little to convince the populace that serious efforts are being made to bring a lasting solution to the power woes the country has been experiencing over the years; they have been giving one excuse after the other which does not help in any way.

Last week, frustrated members of the Business Community from Region Two met with the Essequibo Chambers of Commerce, where they vented their anger at the constant and prolonged power outages on the Essequibo Coast. With the northern side of the Essequibo Coast hardest hit, the businessmen pointed to the plight of residents in Charity, who have suffered greatly. They related that a number of businesses suffered tremendous losses as a direct result of the blackouts and questioned whether the company was willing to provide compensation for their suffering and losses.

Several persons have also complained that recent power outages have resulted in a number of electrical appliances being damaged. Unfortunately, this has been the experience of many consumers and has been so for many years. There is no clear policy in relation to compensation for consumers/ businesses who suffer losses due to voltage surges etc; or even if there is such, it is not being implemented in a transparent and professional manner. Many persons have claimed that in such situations GPL officials would show an uncaring and unhelpful attitude when they are approached for assistance.

While it is not our intention to sound like a pessimist, from the way it looks, ‘blackouts’ will remain with us for a very long time. Despite the promises from both the previous and present governments, that ‘blackouts’ will be “a thing of the past”, the nation is yet to see any measurable progress in relation to an affordable and reliable service to consumers.

Very little has changed under this administration who used every opportunity while in opposition to criticize the previous government in relation to the manner in which the electricity sector was being managed.

GPL had previously announced that billions would be spent by the company towards the construction of new substations. The company had explained that this formed part of G$6.6 billion that had been set aside for works to improve service delivery of the company; G$3 billion for the new substations and G$1.4 billion for renovation works to existing substations. This and other interventions were meant to contribute to the company offering a more stable electricity supply to consumers, however for the first quarter of 2018, it seems as if the service has actually deteriorated.

That said, we are not oblivious to the many problems being experienced by the power company. These problems which include line losses and electricity theft have been known for decades and have certainly had a tremendous impact on the company’s ability to provide better services to Guyanese consumers. The extent of electricity theft is shocking and GPL must continue to tackle the issue frontally.

Once such issues are addressed the company would be in a better position to perform better.

After investing so many billions, in this day and age, these constant power outages are unacceptable. In addition to being a huge discomfort to citizens they discourage investors who have an interest in doing business here. The authorities must stop making excuses and find a solution to the problem once and for all.

Former Miss Moruca, Andrea Marslowe demonstrates her archery skills at the 15th Annual Moruca Expo over the weekend in Region One (Barima-Waini)

Some are uninterested in social cohesion

Dear Editor, Social cohesion is always an elusive element in our country, primarily because it is not the will of our politicians who believe in the ‘divide and rule’ principle.

Being in Government is the biggest business, and nasty politicians can sell their own maternal and paternal affiliations to gain a share in that pursuit.

I must commend the effort of our President, His Excellency David Granger, for his brave attempt to bring the Emancipation Celebration to Region 6 at Union Village, which saw the attendance of people from various races and ethnicities attending in their numbers. In fact I saw our East Indian brothers and sisters fully decked in African wear, which sends a clear message that cultural and social cohesion are possible, but it must start with our politicians.

However, what I have

been witnessing on the television in Berbice has convinced me that the Alliance for Change, especially one particular Minister and his cohorts, are uninterested in social cohesion and are leaving no stone unturned in blasting this concept to smithereens, not by using weapons of mass destruction, but by sheer hate and personal attacks. I have read with interest the rantings and ravings of the Quixotic character who unfortunately resides in Region 5 and was shocked when this was the first caller who, through in the AFC’s program, ‘Alliance on the Move,’ was given free air time to continue his vitriolic and personal attacks on the PM’s Representative, Mr Gobin Harbhajan. Is this how the AFC intends to be ‘on the Move’?

It is evident that the leader of the party, Mr Raphael Trotman, has allowed someone near to him to hijack the party and hold it captive

while it is being ravished and mercilessly raped by his unconscionable, barbaric and uncouth cohorts who are so deficient in basic decorum. I had never expected that the AFC would have descended to the depths of the cesspool. The stench emanating is now unbearable.

Furthermore, these TV ‘stars’ have been making unrealistic promises to the residents, so that I need to ask which ministry these guys represent? They are making statements pertaining to agriculture, public infrastructure and public security, which I have not heard coming from the relevant ministry.

Can Mr Trotman please answer me? These AFC fakes believe that they could even hold the residents in Berbice as captives to their falsehood and fabrication.

Why are these persons given the tacit acquiescence of the Minister to destroy the Coalition? These TV ‘personalities’ are destroying the

work of the Social Cohesion Ministry, and I do feel Minister Ally should bring pressure to bear on these AFC Region 6 officials and members for bringing the efforts of her ministry to zero.

Finally, one cannot help but notice that the presenters on ‘the Alliance on the Move’ programme are of one race and ethnicity, so where are the others, are they selectively excluded? I knew that once upon a time the AFC boasted multi-ethnicity and race, but it seems that principle has also been thrown under the bus. More so, I could not help but notice that the reputation of these mercenaries leaves much to be desired, and this will further destroy the remnants of respectability of the AFC. Mr Trotman needs to move quickly and decisively to save some face at least.

Yours sincerely, Desmond Thompson Former Teacher

Guyana cannot afford this folly Dear Editor, Our Honourable Prime Minister, writing in his weekly column in the state-owned newspaper on Sunday, 26th August, made the Government’s case for the establishment of a homestead for Venezuelan

refugees on humanitarian grounds.

Editor, the PM makes and defeats many straw men in his column, which leaves those of us who really care about our country to ask the obvious questions: Can we help people seeking

to escape a failed welfare state by creating a welfare homestead for them? Can we afford to provide welfare for foreigners, seeing how little we make available to our own citizens in need? Who owns the land in Region 1 identified for ‘pur-

chase’? How much money has been allocated to this ad hoc humanitarian project? What are the national security implications of a Venezuelan homestead in Essequibo?

Continued on page 4

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018

5

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Mortimer Mingo should How does a foreigner know about the security plan being “rolled resign from LGC out at a slow pace”? (Pt 2) Dear Editor, The chairman of any constitutional service commission should possess the following qualities: 1. Be able to uphold the integrity and independence of that commission 2. Be able to perform the duties of the office fairly, impartially and diligently 3. Be able to refrain from political activity.

To be more specific, and in step with the spirit of the Constitution, a Chairman of any of the constitutional service commissions should not: • act as a leader or hold any office in a political organisation; • make speeches for a political organisation or candidate, or publicly endorse or oppose a candidate for public office; or • solicit funds for, pay

an assessment to, or make a contribution to a political organisation or candidate; or attend or purchase a ticket for a dinner or other event sponsored by a political organisation or candidate.

If such a situation arises, then such a chairman must resign and vacate their office forthwith in order to protect the integrity of that constitutional service commission.

As Head of the Local Government Commission, whose main function is to deal with all matters relating to the local government system, Mr Mortimer Mingo is expected to be free of party affiliation, and is certainly expected not to hold a leadership position in a political party if the perception is to be preserved that he is independent, without bias, and is fit to carry out

his functions professionally and objectively.

In this regard, I am calling upon Mr Mingo to immediately resign and immediately vacate the office of the Chairman of the Local Government Commission.

Why? He was elected to the executive of the People’s National Congress Reform at its August 2018 Congress. His engagement in such public political activity prevents him from being a fair actor on the Local Government Commission.

You cannot be the regulator and the regulated at the same time.

This situation will be the test of Mr Mingo’s integrity, and by extension his appointer, His Excellency President David Granger.

Sincerely, Sasenarine Singh

Guyana cannot afford...

Editor, the PM tells many tales to illustrate that Guyanese have at times claimed, and been granted, refugee status in foreign countries during the time of PNC rule. This is true, but at no time were Guyanese ever granted a homestead in any country; Guyanese emigrated and worked in every imaginable field of endeavour. Should the Government of Guyana wish to ease requirements for work permits for Venezuelans, they would have my support, but not welfare while teachers, nurses and law enforcement remain grossly underpaid.

The biggest surprise of this ‘Homestead Initiative’ is the naivety of a Government led by a former Brigadier of the Guyana

Defence Force to think that a Venezuelan Homestead in Essequibo (territory claimed

by Venezuela) does not pose a grave threat to our territorial integrity.

What happens when (not if) a Venezuelan citizen claims mistreatment? When they refuse repatriation and seek legal representation?

What happens when the hope of welfare leads to an overwhelming flood of immigrants crossing the border?

What happens when one million people pour into the country?

Will our meagre law enforcement resources be enough to handle them? Will our GDF ranks load themselves into their 30 new Chinese buses and race to reinforce the border crossing?

From page 4

The PM and the APNU + AFC Administration would be better off with serious discussion and consideration of the very real scenarios as posited above, instead of the inane public relations missives such as the PM’s My Turn.

We cannot hold out false hope for people; Guyana cannot afford this folly, it can only end badly for us.

We must accept that our capabilities do not match all the good intentions we have towards our neighbours, and as Peter Tosh sang, “Sorry fi Maga Dog, Him turn around, bite you”.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Dear Editor, In the Kaieteur News article of August 25, the British High Commissioner is reported to have made a statement which I find to be very curious and, frankly, disturbing. He said the United Kingdom is getting value for money as it relates to the operation of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) under the guidance of his countryman and Financial Investigations Advisor to SOCU, Dr. Sam Sittlington. Responding to questions from the press at his residence on Friday, August 24th, Greg Quinn is quoted as saying, “It is not for SOCU to decide when and if a prosecution should move forward, and I KNOW (emphasis mine) that SOCU has done a lot of investigation on a whole range of subjects… all SOCU can do is put forward good cases; and I think if you ask Sam, he would say they have been doing that. SOCU is doing its job.”

Editor, in a previous letter, I had expressed concern over the level of interference in our domestic affairs by the UK High Commissioner and Dr. Sittlington, whose role is still undefined as he has been seen active in operational investigations.

The UK Envoy spoke

as though he knows about the quality of the work being done by SOCU. Apart from the fact that he is Sittlington’s friend, any reasonable person would assume that Quinn could only make that assessment if he has access to confidential documents informing him of the extent and contents of investigations taking place at SOCU. Considering most, if not all of the cases being investigated by that Agency targets former PPP/C Ministers and officials, this raises the question as to whether any foreign representative would make this their business, and the extent to which High Commissioner Quinn is involved. The UK High Commissioner speaking so candidly on operational security matters can only be considered political interference and intrusion in the affairs of a sovereign nation, which is being ignored by the APNU+AFC Government, for it aids their objective of the political witch-hunt of former PPP/C officials.

Is Gregory Quinn doing this on his own? Or is it his way of appeasing London to justify the cost of Sittlington’s advisory role here and going after political opponents to gain favour with the APNU+AFC

government. The freeing of Dr. Jennifer Westford of trumped-up charges brought against her on the advice of SOCU did nothing to improve Government’s image with its hard-core PNC base.

They have more disappointments to come!

As he seems interested in our security affairs, does the UK High Commissioner know that the APNU+AFC Government has hired several lawyers friendly to the APNU+AFC Administration as Special Prosecutors who now benefit from the $100 million the Government set aside to pay special prosecutors, while at the same time cuts the DPP budget, compromising her ability to go after the real hardcore criminals: murderers; armed bandits and rapists that are terrorising the entire nation on a daily basis?

I wonder what are the views of the UK High Commissioner on these issues, since he is not shy to comment on other security matters.

Sincerely, Harry Gill PPP/C Member of Parliament Member of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee

Blocked drains in Durban Backlands Dear Editor, The drains in Durban Backlands have been blocked for the last month, and there has been no at-

tempt to clean them.

Stagnant water is now breeding mosquitoes in the entire area. Why are we pay-

ing rates & taxes?

Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento

6

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018

Page

Foundation

Part 2 Transportation and safety: Do you know what time school starts and how your children will get there?

If they’re riding the bus, do you know where the bus stop is and what time they’ll be picked up and dropped off?

Do you know where the school’s designated drop-off and pick-up area is?

Are there any regulations on bicycles or other vehicles, such as scooters?

Have you gone over traffic safety information, stressing the importance of crossing at the pedestrian crossing (never between parked cars or in front of the school bus), waiting for the bus to stop before approaching it, and understanding traffic signals and signs?

If your child walks or bikes to school, have you mapped out a safe route? Does your child understand that it’s never OK to accept rides, candy, or any other type of invitation from strangers?

What about after school?

Figuring out where children will go after school can be a challenge, especially if both parents work. Depending on a child’s age and maturity, you may need to arrange for afterschool transportation and care.

It’s important for younger children and preteens to have some sort of supervision from a responsible adult. If you can’t be there as soon as school’s out, ask a reliable, responsible relative, friend, or neighbour to help out. If they’re to be picked up after school, make sure your children know where to meet you or another caregiver.

Although it might seem like children who are approaching adolescence are becoming

mature enough to start watching themselves after school, even children as old as 11 or 12 may not be ready to be left alone.

If your children or teens are home alone in the afternoons, it’s important to establish clear rules: Set a time when they’re expected to arrive home from school.

Have them check in with you or a neighbour as soon as they get home.

Specify who, if anyone at

all, is allowed in your home when you’re not there.

Make sure they know to never open the door for strangers.

Make sure they know what to do in an emergency.

To ensure that children are safe and entertained after school, look into after-school programmes. Some are run by private businesses, others are organised by the schools themselves, places of worship, police athletic leagues, YMCAs, community and youth centres, etc.

Getting involved in afterschool activities: offers children a productive alternative to watching TV or playing video games provides some adult

supervision when parents can’t be around after school helps develop children’ interests and talents introduces children to new people and helps them develop their social skills gives children a feeling of involvement keeps children out of trouble Be sure to look into the child-staff ratio at any afterschool programme (in other words, make sure that there are enough adults per child)

and that the facilities are safe, indoors and out. And children should know when and who will pick them up when school lets out and when the afterschool programme ends.

Also, make sure after-school commitments allow children enough time to complete school assignments. Keep an eye on their schedules to make sure there’s enough time for both schoolwork and home life.

Helping homework Love it or hate it, homework is a very important part of school. To help children get back into the scholastic swing of things: Make sure there’s a quiet place that’s free of distractions to do homework.

Don’t let children watch TV when doing homework or studying. Set rules for when homework and studying need to be done, and when the TV can be turned on and should be turned off. The less TV, the better, especially on school nights.

If your children are involved in social media, be sure to limit the time spent on these activities during homework time.

Keep text messaging to a minimum to avoid frequent interruptions.

Never do their homework or projects yourself. Instead, make it clear that you’re always available to help or answer any questions.

Review homework assignments nightly, not necessarily to check up, but to make sure they understand everything.

Encourage children to: develop good work habits from the get-go, like taking notes, writing down assignments, and turning in homework on time take their time with schoolwork ask the teacher if they don’t understand something To ensure children get the most out of school, maintain an open channel of communication with the teachers by emailing or talking with them throughout the school year to discuss your children’ academic strengths as well as weaknesses.

Most of all, whether it’s the first day of school or the last, make sure your children know you’re there to listen to their feelings and concerns, and that you don’t expect perfection — only that they try their best.

(Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

Y

uan Xiao Jie, also known as the Lantern Festival, takes place during the first full moon of the year, and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The festival takes place in the evening, with lanterns to illuminate the streets.

Traditionally, the lanterns will have a riddles written on them for entertainment. Bring a bit of the fun of Yuan Xiao Jie to your home to end this summer with this lantern activity.

What you need: Construction paper Streamers Glue Stapler Scissors Pencil Felt tip pens or pencil crayons Ruler Glitter, sequins, stickers and whatever else your child wants to use to decorate Internet (optional) What you do: Have your child fold a piece of the construction paper in half lengthwise so it forms a long and skinny rectangle.

Tell your child to position the paper so the fold is facing him.

Ask him to use the ruler to measure one inch down from the top edge of the paper (the end that’s not folded) and make a mark with the pencil. Then, he should draw a straight line lengthwise one inch from the edge. Tell your child that it’s important to not cut beyond this line.

Help your child use the scissors to cut lines from the folded edge of the paper up to the line he created.

Ask him to open the paper and match the edges of the paper together to form a cylinder-like shape.

Have your child use the glue to attach the two uncut edges.

Let dry.

Using another piece of construction paper, your child can measure and cut out a one-inch wide strip across the length of the paper to be used as the handle.

Instruct your child to use the stapler to attach the handle to the top of the lantern.

Challenge your child to think of a riddle, and have him write it on the lantern. Then, write the answer on the inside of the lantern. If he’s stumped, let him do some research on the Internet to find one he likes. We used this one: I am the beginning of the end, the end of every place. I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I? The letter E! (education.com)

news

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tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Murdered 3-year-old died from stab wound to the heart …CC&PA claims 3 visits made to family …mother likely for court today

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post-mortem examination performed on the body of threeyear-old Ramdeo Ferriera who was brutally killed by his mother, died as a result of a stab wound to his heart. This was the finding of pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh, who conducted the autopsy on Monday at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The lad of Lot 585 15th Street, Foulis, East Coast Demerara, was stabbed to death by his 26-yearold pregnant mother on Saturday after she allegedly had a dream that she would die. She told Police that if that was the case, she did not want her favourite child to be left behind.

The Police stated that on Saturday, the woman began pursuing the hapless lad in the yard with a knife in her hand.

A few minutes later, ranks at the Enmore Police Outpost received a report that the child had been stabbed by his mother; and upon arriving at the scene, they found the child lying unconscious in a pool of blood with suspected stab wounds to his neck and back.

He was rushed to the

puted wife started to act in an abnormal manner days prior to the incident.

He recalled lodging a report at the Enmore Police Station about her behaviour, but the ranks never visited the home until Saturday after the child was stabbed.

CC&PA visits

Brenda Ferriera stabbed her three-year-old to death

Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) where he succumbed to his injuries about three hours later. At the time of the stabbing, the child’s father, Shamlall Mahadeo, was at work and upon receiving the news, he rushed home only to find a blood-stained bed and no one at home.

Based on reports received, the woman would usually neglect the children when the father was at work and this, neighbours stated, would lead to constant arguments between the couple.

The aggrieved father told media operatives that his re-

After the incident, neighbours blamed themselves for not intervening in the situation at an early stage. It was reported that the woman was reported to the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) for child neglect, but the officers visited once when no one was at home and never returned.

This claim was refuted

by Director of the Agency, Ann Greene who told Guyana Times that the officers would have received the first report on December 18, 2017 and a team travelled up to the area only to find that the house was locked.

Upon enquiring, the officers were reportedly told that the family had moved.

CC&PA officers, she noted, revisited the area on January 18, 2018 and it was the same case. The final visit was made on May

2, 2018 and the house was still locked.

In addition, Greene stated that they leant of the abnormal behaviour of the mother until after the child was killed.

With respect to the older child who witnessed the stabbing, Greene posited that he is in the care of relatives and the Agency will be making periodic checks to make sure that he is safe.

The child, Guyana Times understands, will be counselled.

On the other hand, fol-

lowing the incident, several psychologists have called from the woman to be psychologically evaluated since it could be that she suffered from some form of mental illness but her reputed husband for five years claimed that she was never diagnosed with a mental disorder and could not tell what might have triggered her action.

Court appearance

Meanwhile, the woman, Brenda Ferriera, is likely to make her court appearance

today at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court. A Police source told Guyana Times that the file is completed and will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.

“Once the file is returned, the suspect will be taken to court to answer to a murder charge,” the source stated.

The dead lad leaves to mourn his dad and fouryear-old brother whom he was excited to join at his nursery school when the new school year began.

8 news

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS Emotions flare as ex-soldier jailed 15 years for killing friend

Deceased: Devon Howell

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x-Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer, Alistair Woolford, was on Monday sentenced to 15 years in prison at the High Court for the shooting to death of his friend Devon Howell, who met his demise at the former soldier’s D’Anrade Street, Kitty, Georgetown residence. The sentence was handed down

by Justice Sandhil Kissoon nearly one month after Woolford was found guilty by a 10-2 jury proportion.

However, it was high drama as family members exchanged words after an emotional Woolford was escorted

by Police ranks on Monday.

Police stationed at the court were called in to settle tensions as the two sides traded barbs; both outside the courtroom and on the court’s South Road entrance. During the trial, the 24-year old discharged sol-

dier never denied that he killed Howell but instead claimed that he was only “joking around” on the day in question – November 12, 2014. It was believed to be a game of Russian roulette based on reports that Woolford, Howell and others were taking turns feeling the GDF service weapon that former soldier, Jonathon Williams obtained from Army headquarters at Camp Ayanganna.

Justice Sandil Kissoon, who handed down the sentence for the manslaughter charge, called the offender’s actions reprehensible, reckless and unbecoming of a trained GDF officer.

The Judge opined that Woolford, by way of his conduct, failed his mother, society and himself. Howell died on December 8, 2014, just weeks after being shot.

Jailed: Alistair Woolford

child. He was out on bail prior to being found guilty.

The Judge started at a base of 25 years but subtracted six years for a favourable probation report and four years for his young age and other mitigating

Tensions flared when the two families exited the courtroom

The Judge considered that Woolford is a father to one and is expecting another

factors.

“The death is indeed tragic and unfortunate. You were

irresponsible and negligent,” Justice Kissoon observed.

The probation report disclosed that Woolford’s father has been incarcerated for the last nine years. It also unearthed that even though the offender left school in Third Form, his fellow ranks described him as having to potential to go very far in the Army.

Woolford shed a few tears as he was being led away but his friend’s mother, Allison Howell told Guyana Times that she is extremely upset that Woolford or his relatives never apologised for her son’s demise. She made similar remarks when she took the stand at Monday’s sentencing. The still grieving woman told the court that she can never forgive Woolford for his actions.

However, the jailed officer’s mother, Feona Edwards later on responded that she will continue to support her son as she maintained that the two males were good friends. In an unsworn statement to the court last month, her son said he was only joking around when he squeezed the trigger and the gun went off.

Williams had however claimed that he was in the washroom at the time the weapon was fired. The prosecution’s case was that Woolford discharged the loaded firearm with intent to murder Howell. State Counsels Abigail Gibbs and Mandell Moore prosecuted the case. (Shemuel Fanfair)

Teen gets 10 years jail for killing CD vendor

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ighteen-year-old Eton Calistro was on Monday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon for stabbing a a CD vendor to death July 18, 2015 at Soesdyke, on the East Bank of Demerara.

Upon the State’s murder indictment, Calistro, who plead not guilty to the murder of 21-year-old Leroy Moore, called “Jim Carrey”, admitted guilt to the lesser count of manslaughter.

State Counsels Abigail Gibbs and Mandell Moore appeared for the prosecution while attorneys George Thomas and Sonia Parag defended Calistro. According to the facts of the case presented by Prosecutor Gibbs, the labourer, who was just 15 years old at the time of his crime, went to a bar with his two brothers and while there, the deceased, Moore “hustled” a female, which annoyed Calistro. The court heard that the two had an exchange of words, after which, Calistro left with his

Jailed teenager: Eton Calistro

siblings. Moore was with seven other males at the time.

The prosecutor further explained that after they left the bar and went to Soesdyke, the accused and the deceased met up and had a scuffle. Moore was stabbed twice and succumbed whilst being transported to hospital. A post-mortem examination revealed he died from perforation to the heart and lungs due to stab wounds.

In plea of mitigation, the defence attorney, George

Thomas, informed the court that his client was defending himself as Calistro saw himself as a victim in the matter. Thomas pointed to alcohol consumption being a notable factor of the incident while his client begged the court’s mercy.

Prosecutor Gibbs observed that even though the killing was unfortunate due to ages involved; persons must face the consequences for their actions. She contended that a period of incarceration could give the offender

an opportunity to reflect on what he had done so that he would not repeat his crime.

After a brief adjournment, Justice Kissoon passed down sentence, observing the impact that alcohol had on the events that led to the outcome. He started at a base of 25 years for manslaughter and deducted one-third of the sentence for acceptance of guilt; three years for time spent on remand and three years, six months for his age and other mitigating factors.

In July, Calistro appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds and pleaded not guilty to both murder and manslaughter after reportedly telling his then lawyer, Stanley Moore that he indented to plead guilty to manslaughter. Those proceedings were discontinued, and he was ordered to appear before another Judge.

Moore was a former resident of Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens.

On the brain…

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…and off his rocker

our Eyewitness is getting worried about PM Nagamootoo. No, it’s not about him being shafted out of what he was promised in Cummingsburg.

He clearly enjoys “shafting”, since he so revels in being reduced to a weekly columnist in the Chronic! The worry’s actually about whether he’s really recovered from that open-heart surgery, so his brain’s getting enough oxygen to function properly!

Take his first article -- “Plight of the refugees” -- after returning from his check-up in the States. He launched into a long and meandering attack on (who else?) his bete noir, Bharrat Jagdeo. Now, we know Nagamootoo has Jagdeo on his brain, because he convinced himself the younger man did him out of his “right” to become the PPP Leader. He never realized that calling Cheddi and Janet “Ma and Pa” never blinded them to his (vast) inadequacies!!

But this last attack went beyond his usual cattiness, since it betrayed a total lack of comprehension of what the Opposition Leader said about the influx of Venezuelan refugees. Just so your Eyewitness isn’t accused of bias, he refers to the Muckraker’s account of Jagdeo’s position.

It was summarised by their headline’s strap: “WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO TREAT THEM FAIRLY AND IN A HUMANITARIAN WAY BUT IN THE LONG TERM, THEY MUST BE REPATRIATED TO VENEZUELA.” – Jagdeo.

Jagdeo insisted the refugees produce passports, and expressed two concerns – one: that the GDF was taking the lead role on the refugees; and second: that the refugees were indiscriminately lumped together. He suggested that refugees of Guyanese ancestry be accepted and resettled; those of Amerindian ancestry be allowed to remain, because they are migratory. But “given the nature of the threat on the border and what a settlement on our side of the border with permanent residents of Venezuela can pose,” the last group must accept eventual repatriation.

But how did Nagamootoo interpret that position? “It was a vintage piece of pure undiluted hypocrisy for him to oppose temporary settlement in our sovereign and secure border areas of Venezuelans, who are coming to Guyana as refugees,” he screeched!! Now where, for goodness sake, was Jagdeo opposing “temporary settlement” of refugees?? But if Nagamootoo can’t see the strategic danger of allowing Venezuelans to establish settlements in an area that ALL of them were indoctrinated to see as their birthright, then his brain is oxygen deficient at a minimum, or he’s gone off his rocker, at worse!

But worst of all was for him to claim Venezuela’s ally, “Equador, is accepting Venezuelans with ID cards only”.

That’s just not true – and also for Peru!!

Is it that Nagamootoo now can’t even comprehend newspaper reports? It’s a shad, shad shituation!!

…with moral licensing

Quite a lot of Guyanese – even supporters of the PNCled Government – wonder how these Ministers and other officials can commit so many egregious actions and still live with themselves. One explanation is they practice “Moral Licensing”. That’s the term psychologists and researchers use to describe the process by which folks use a “good” behaviour to later justify a “bad” choice. We all do this, like you know, asking for that “Diet Coke” and then gorging ourselves on a bucket of KFC, or a whole bunjal duck!!

But in the case of the Government officials, right off the bat after elections, they convinced themselves that being “public servants” is their “good behaviour”, and this then rationalises all the outrageous behaviour that follows! Like giving themselves a 50% raise but stiffing the teachers from getting a living wage and forcing them to now come into the streets for what is rightfully theirs.

The irony is: the Government Ministers and other high officials are anything but “public servants”.

They behave like they’re our lords and masters.

…“denialism”

From his elevated perch of upper class, “Coloured” self-righteousness, President Granger continues to insult lower-strata supporters. This time he warned Cuffy 250 members about the disease of ‘denialism’!!

But isn’t he suffering from that on the Hinds’ banishment from the Chronic?

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

News

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tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Strike for better wages

Teachers protest in front of President’s office …Union unlikely to meet for conciliation talks today

Teachers picket in front of the Ministry of the Presidency (Dexter Ceres photo) A group of teachers outside the Linden Department of Education

By Rupadai Seenaraine, Andrew Carmichael and Utamu Belle

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he Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has announced that it is highly unlikely the Union will be able to engage the Education Ministry today for pending discussions requested by the Department of Labour on the requested salary increases for some 7000 teachers.

This was the position shared by GTU President Mark Lyte who told media operatives on Monday that due to the Union’s General Councils meeting, they will have to reschedule to a later date.

He shared these remarks amid a protest by teachers at the entrance of the Ministry of the Presidency on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, to voice their disappointment with the Education Ministry and the Government at large, calling for their 40 per cent increase

in wages. Lyte further indicated that the soonest day in which they will be available for a meeting is Friday.

“We received an invitation for the conciliation meeting but the GTU has a long planned General Councils meeting. We will be responding as it relates to our availability. We will have to ask for a reschedule of the meeting, probably by Friday.”

He noted that the

Ministry had been scheduling such meetings on days when activities are already planned by the Union.

Additionally, the notices are sent out hours before the event. In this case, the General Councils meeting was planned during the last academic term and teachers will be travelling from all regions to attend.

Last Friday, a meeting was planned by the Department of Labour so

Teachers outside the Berbice High School on Monday

as to engage the Union on discussions for the increase. However, representatives from the GTU did not attend. Lyte justified the Union’s absence, noting that short notice was given which coincides with other activities which were planned.

When asked if the Union is trying to boycott engagements that are set by the Labour Department, the GTU President responded, “if invitation is given and it clashes with a planned activity that we have, obvious-

ly we will not be able to attend. Our General Councils would meet once per term so it’s not something that we can push back,” said Lyte.

At that time, over 60 teachers and GTU officials were carrying placards as they recited slogans for the 40 per cent increase. This, they said, was a promise made by the Government after the task force would have suggested a 40 per cent increase for the teachers.

“The recommendation that was made by the task force is what we’re asking for. The recommendation was the 40 per cent. It is not teachers coming out here and coming up with the idea that we want 40 per cent.

The Government wants something from the teachers; better performance, we also want a package from the Government,” said Stacy Benjamin.

While some teachers bargained for their rights and reasons for the increase, others threatened that a mass protest could emerge

from these pickets if the Ministry does not meet their demands.

Issues that were raised included poor utility services at their respective schools, along with the absence of a stipend to be spent to upkeep the classrooms. According to them, monies are being taken out of their pockets to purchase items and educational aids for students.

GTU’s Chairman Kerwin Mars explained that the Union is under the impression the Education Ministry does not want to resolve the issue. “I know that the Union is prepared to talk and to come up with reasonable solutions to end this thing. I see the Government not wanting to do that,” Mars said.

So far, the GTU has rejected the Government’s request for a debunching payoff of $200 million for 2018 to 2019. They have also rejected the $700 million that was placed for the increases for 2018 only.

Turn to page 16

10 news Jagdeo, Granger to meet this week on Top Cop’s appointment W tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

ith a list of potential candidates already lined up, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is expected to meet with President David Granger this week to select the next Police Commissioner.

According to closely placed sources, the meeting has been set for Thursday at State House. It will be the first time since July that the two leaders have met on the matter of a constitutional appointment.

Following the retirement of former Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, there has been much theory over who will succeed him. While current acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has held the fort for some time and is perceived as a possible successor, the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into an alleged plot to assassinate the President did put a damper on those chances.

Over the course of the CoI, a number of officers were summoned and even upbraided for their

officers involved.

Ramnarine was later interviewed for the position of Police Commissioner. Also interviewed were Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Leslie James, Lyndon Alves, Marlon Chapman, Nigel Hoppie, Maxine Graham and Crime Chief Paul Williams.

In November 2017, when asked whether Williams is likely to take up the mantle, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who was then acting in the capacity of Public

Security Minister, offered no direct reply.

Harmon, however, had hinted at the possibility of a female assuming the position of Top Cop when he outlined that while there was a line of succession in the Guyana Police Force, female officers were also to be considered when deciding on a Police Commissioner.

In so doing, he noted, “You don’t just look at the male ranks in the Police Force; we have female officers as well. And, therefore,

if it is that a female officer is to be the person, then so be it.”

Nevertheless, as mandated by the Constitution, the President will have to have consultations with the Opposition Leader, on the names for the Top Cop position and the Deputy Commissioners of Police.

Police Service Commission

The last piece of the puzzle before the Commissioner can be appointed was the Police Service Commission President David Granger

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

work during the investigation. Besides the senior officers, junior officers were also criticised by Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe, who was appointed by the President.

Ramnarine was one of those who made an appearance before the CoI. When the dust was settled, and the report handed over, it included recommendations for sanctions against Ramnarine for the handling of the investigation by the

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine

Maxine Graham

Crime Chief Paul Williams

(PSC). The PSC is tasked with promotions of officers above the rank.

It also handles disciplinary matters for officers. The life of the previous Commission ended in September of 2017.

However, a new Commission was sworn in earlier this month, with Slowe as Chairman. But his appointment has raised eyebrows.

Following the last meeting with President Granger, Jagdeo had said Slowe “… will bring two sets of baggage with him. One, the political approach to the job; that is, judging people based on politics; and secondly, he has a lot of interpersonal problems with many members of the Police Force and old scores, I believe, to settle; and therefore that could harm his judgement.”

Asked to comment on this statement shortly after he was sworn in, Slowe told reporters that what he has to offer is what matters.

“I do have baggage, but is what’s in the baggage is the important thing. The baggage contains discipline, professionalism, measures to deal with corruption; so forget about the baggage, examine what’s inside,” the new PSC Chairman asserted.

Jagdeo had said that when he raised his concerns, President Granger had indicated that he would speak with Slowe to ensure that he acts impartially, and not to “bring baggage to the job.”

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tuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

I

f you have kids, odds are you have a box full of broken crayons. Don’t throw those bits and pieces out! Cycle them into fun color wheels and save yourself from buying a new box!

Crayon Color Wheel Craft For this craft, you will need:

Materials:

• Bits of Crayons in an assortment of colors • A clean, empty tuna can, or other shallow can

By Claire McCarthy, MD

I

t’s a major milestone, starting school for the first time.

Whether it’s preschool or kindergarten, that first school experience can be exciting – and scary. It can be a big adjustment for parents, too!

Here are some tips to help ensure a smooth transition for everyone.

Talk about it. This sounds obvious, but we should never underestimate the power of narrative to reassure and empower. Talk about what the day will be like, about what you will do to get ready, how your child will get to school, what they will do, and how the school day will end – as well as what will happen when they get home.

•

Tongs

Directions:

• Remove the paper wrappers from the broken bits of Crayon.

• Place the broken bits into the tuna can. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the can and all the pieces are touching the bottom.

• Using your tongs, place the tuna can on your stove on low heat until the bits of crayon melt together. Stay

Start planning – and trying – some healthy snacks and lunches. This is especially true if you have a child who is very picky, or one who is used to hot lunches or other things that don’t work so well when packed for school. Try out some new fruits and vegetables, some sandwiches o r wraps or stuffed pita.

Get your child on a sleep schedule that will work for school. This is incredibly important, and many families start it too late (or don’t do it at all). Your child should preferably sleep nine to 10 hours every night.

So figure out what time they will need to get up for school, count back 10 hours, and then start an hour before that with turning off screens and having

with the can the entire time it’s on the stove and do not leave children unattended during this step.

• Once the Crayon bits have melted together, remove the can from the heat and set it aside to cool – at least one hour.

• Once it’s cooled flip the can over and gently tap the bottom until your color wheel pops free.

Your broken bits now have new life!

calming routines.(www.health.harvard.edu)

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TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

A

s summer comes to an end and back-to-school season begins, it can be hard to get back into a regular schedule — both for kids and adults. To help you out, we share our thoughts on how parents can get a jump on the school year. The trick here is to plan ahead.

1. Reacquaint your kids with the calendar schedule they'll use to manage their activities.

2. Refresh your rules about screen time for the school year. What's allowed and when?

3.

Determine how long it takes them to do assignments to help with time management.

4.

Teach your kids to prioritize their assignments by making to-do lists with deadlines.

5.

Give your kids a short break after each assignment they finish, such as a short walk.

6. Set a regular alarm each day that signals the start of homework time.

7.

Discuss what your kids can expect on the first day so they feel more prepared.

8.

Arrange playdates with two or three of your kids' friends to rebuild existing social ties.

9. Get the lists of school supplies, books and technology your kids will need.

10. Inventory last year's school supplies before going out to buy more.

11. Include your kids in back-to-school shopping by letting them pick out their items.

12. Establish a specific space like the family office as the official "homework area."

13. Remove distractions like TVs and video game consoles from homework areas.

14. Create an after-school schedule that allows time for snack, relaxation, play and study.

15. Have your kids pack their school bags before they go to sleep that night.

16. Create a list and budget for back-to-school shopping.

17. Shop for school supplies and clothes early. Avoid the rush.

18. Talk openly with your kids about their feelings about returning to school.

19. Do something fun to diffuse this stressful time of year for all of you.

20. Take a breath!

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TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Y

our kiddos deserve a lunch they'll truly enjoy, and these back-to-school lunch ideas won't disappoint. The new school year gets closer every day.

Have you thought about your kids' lunch plan yet? This year, say goodbye to that sandwich and chips, and pack your kids a healthy lunch they won't want to trade. Healthy lunch ideas don't have to be boring. In fact, these back-to-school lunches will knock their socks off:

375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Grease a muffin tin and set it aside.

3. Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion. Drain off the excess fat.

4. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and garlic salt.

Mini Cheeseburger Pies

If your little one loves cheeseburgers, try making this healthier version for lunch, from Your Homebased Mom. Ingredients: • 1 pound ground beef • 1 large onion, chopped • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded • 1 teaspoon garlic salt • 1/2 cup milk • 1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix • 2 eggs Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to

cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Nothing will warm your child's spirit at school like these Mini Chicken Pot Pies from Easy Toddler Meals.

Ingredients: • 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped • 3/4 cup cream of chicken condensed soup • Flour • 1 package crescent roll dough • 1/2 cup frozen vegetables, thawed Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken

5. Stir together the milk, Bisquick mix, and eggs. Whisk until completely combined.

6. Fill each muffin cup half full with the Bisquick mixture, then top with 1/4 cup of the ground beef mixture.

7. Top each muffin cup with an additional tablespoon of Bisquick mixture.

8. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

Your kids will beg for these Homemade Pizza Rolls, courtesy of What Lisa Cooks.

Ingredients: • 1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough • Flour • 3 tablespoons pizza sauce • 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Roll out the crescent roll dough into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle.

3. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough in a thin, even layer.

4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce.

5. Roll up the dough jellyroll style, then slice it horizontally into 1/2-inch slices.

6. Arrange on a greased

condensed soup, vegetables and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Roll out the crescent roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.

4. Cut out circles from the dough using a 3-inch cookie cutter.

5. Grease a muffin tin, then form a dough circle into each muffin cup.

6. Spoon the chicken mixture into each cup.

7. Using a glass or cookie cutter, carve out circles of crescent dough.

8. Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray and carefully place dough in each circle.

9. Add chicken mixture into each circle, then top with strips cut from the leftover dough.

10. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

14 news

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Minibus fare increase GWI in talks with Finance another burden – FITUG Ministry to establish mini labs

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he Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has labelled the $20 across-the-board increase in minibus fares, expected to be active by September 1, a burden on the beleaguered working people.

The union on Monday expressed its dissatisfaction over the fare hike, expressing that “it was disheartening for us that the Government, it seemed, did not take cognisance of what impacts the increases would have on the pockets of the working people.”

According to FITUG, although it accepts that the operators have found themselves in a difficult position, taking into consideration the ban on used tyres and increases in the costs of licences and fitness in addition to other increases, the new increases, depending on the route, could work out to as much as a 25 per cent hike in fares.

The Union pointed out that it believes the new fare structure would now require workers and their families, depending on the number of buses they would have to take, to fork out as much as several thousands more per month on transportation, though promised a ‘Good Life’ by the ruling Coalition Government.

“Naturally, we expected the Administration would have sought to see what assistance the State could have lent to easing the woes of the bus operators, without placing additional burdens on our people.

This is the approach any re-

…as major lab receives certification

T

Relocated minibuses parked outside Ashmin’s Trading and Silvie’s Variety Store on High Street, Georgetown

sponsible Government would take as it seeks to protect its people’s well-being,” FITUG stated.

Moreover, the Union asserted that it had high expectations of the Government to do ‘what is right and decent’.

“Certainly, the Coalition had several possible fiscal measures at its disposal, but rather ‘uncreatively’ passed on the increased costs to hapless, overburdened Guyanese”, the agitated Union noted.

In addition to the hike on minibus fares, FITUG also complained of the impending hike in water rates, which it said are being saddled on to the backs of our overburdened working people.

The union added that while the administration boasts of high economic growth, “we find many of our people cannot cope with the pressures of life. This is not a healthy situation, and one we urge the Administration to pay careful attention to.”

About one week ago, the Business Ministry announced that minibuses in the various routes would be benefiting

from an additional $20 from each passenger, beginning on September 01.

According to the Business Ministry, a new fare structure would be made available to minibus drivers, who would then be responsible for displaying same in their buses.

President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews, has said he is satisfied with the Ministry’s decision to implement a $20 increase. He said, “It might not be a lot, but we are satisfied.”

The President of the Minibus Union had in June submitted a proposal for not only a fare increase, but for several other requests to ease the pressure on minibus operators.

Although the call for a fare increase came at a time when fuel prices were constantly escalating, Andrews had noted that the call for the additional money was not only due to the fuel prices, but to several other issues. Because of this, the Union’s President said, even if the fuel prices were to be lowered, he would not be willing to drop the transportation costs.

he Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is currently in talks with the Finance Ministry to discuss the possibilities of more laboratories being established across the country, as the 2019 budgetary plans are being finalised.

This was announced on Monday by Managing Director of GWI, Richard Van WestCharles at the company’s head office on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown as the laboratory received certification from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) after one year.

Due to the certification received, Van West-Charles said, “We have started to create a set of mini laboratories, placing kits in different parts… so we have a few already, mini laboratories.

As I said earlier, I just came from the Ministry of Finance.

We are discussing the budget for 2019. In that budget is a proposal for some more mini laboratories”.

According to Dr WestCharles, the establishing of the mini laboratories is a critical issue. The Managing Director explained that it is a complete waste of resources for water samples to be taken from outlying areas and results take months to return.

Meanwhile, head of water quality at GWI, Deon Anderson, explained that over the oneyear period, the company was required to meet basic requirements of the World Health Organisation (WHO), before

GWI Managing Director, Dr Richard Van West-Charles receives the certificate from head of the Conformity Assessment Department at the GNBS, Rodlyn Semple

achieving the necessary certification. A few of those requirements ensuring the test methods were well-developed and implemented along with consistent accuracy testing of the equipment used to ensure proper water quality.

Anderson added that the certification is a validation of the laboratory’s ability to deliver reliable, accurate and precise information to its customers.

“The certification validates the competence of our staff in the water quality department, it validates also the appropriateness of our test methods and protocols that are used to test the different water quality parameters. It ensures traceability of our measurements that are done in terms of our standard operational procedures,” the water quality expert pointed out.

Laboratory Consultant,

Karamchand Ramoutar, said he expects to continue working with the company, even as it seeks international certification.

Head of the Conformity Assessment Department at GNBS, Rodlyn Semple lauded the water company for being the 14th laboratory to achieve GYS170 standard.

The GYS-170 standard is the national standard which specifies the operation of a laboratory, she said, which also assures that reliable testing meets the needs of consumers.

She noted, “Indeed today (Monday) is not only a momentous occasion but it signifies that laboratories in Guyana recognise the need to implement standards for overall improvement.”

For GWI to maintain its certification, it will be reevaluated over a two-year period by trained assessors.

news

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TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Goldfields to lay off Greenfield workers …rehiring to be based only on transferable skills

Consumer Affairs body kicks off countrywide compliance inspection

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anadian mining company Guyana Goldfields has taken a decision to lay off approximately 80 local workers in a bid to consolidate its operations. Any rehiring would be contingent on their skills sets.

This position was explained to this publication by Aurora Gold Mines’ Public Relations Officer Leon Roberts. According to Roberts, the company will be focusing its operations at Aurora, located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

This means that the company will be cutting back operations from its Greenfield prospect, also located in Region Seven.

“Yes, Guyana Goldfields Inc will let go of approximately 80 of our Greenfield exploration employees,” Roberts explained to this publication. “This is because the company has taken a decision to focus on our operations at Aurora, and consolidate on same while we pull back on exploration activities away from our main site,” Roberts confirmed.

The layoffs, meanwhile, are expected to take effect from next month. It is understood that the mining

CCAC representatives during their inspection in Bartica Guyana Goldfields operations

company would make an effort to rehire the redundant workers, but according to Roberts, this will be done on a case by case basis.

“With respect to re-absorbing some of the employees who will be laid off, this will be on a case by case basis, as an evaluation is made of whether they possess transferable skills that could lend to them being engaged in our operations at Aurora,” Roberts explained.

The Aurora mines achieved commercial production in January 1, 2016 with output of 151,600 ounces of gold, in line with the company’s upwardly revised guidance of 140,000 to 160,000 ounces.

Guyana Goldfields has long had a major role to play in the local mining sec-

tor. Government had announced shortfalls in gold production for last year.

Budgeting for 694,000 ounces, what was actually recorded was 653,674 ounces.

But according to data from the Bureau of Statistics, only Guyana Goldfields remained on production target.

Catering for 160,637 ounces, the company actually produced 168,112 ounces. The other major gold producer, Troy Resources Limited, produced 66,024 ounces, falling short of its target by over 3,000 ounces.

In comparison, small and medium scale miners were expected to deliver 482,613 ounces of gold. For 2017, they delivered only 419,538 ounces.

Last year, the Finance

Ministry’s half-year report had showed contractions in certain sectors when compared to the corresponding period in 2016. The declining sectors had included sugar, livestock, forestry, mining and quarrying and even the bauxite industry.

In particular, the mining and quarrying sector had contracted by 4.0 per cent during the first half of 2017.

Gold production fell by 1.7 per cent to 317,096 ounces in the first half of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016.

Gold prices are currently $1,206 per ounce. A recent spat between US President Donald Trump and Iran saw prices jump to $1,234 as demand for the metal increased on the international market last month.

Teen found guilty of killing East Canje “bad” man

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ineteen-year-old D a v e n a n d Dhandhari has been found guilty of killing East Canje labourer Omesh Seelall, 21, called “Rovin” and “Short Neck,” of Betsy Ground, East Canje in April 2018.

After deliberating for more than three hours on Monday, The mixed jury in the Berbice High Court returned the unanimous verdict of guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Prior to the incident that caused his conviction, Dhandhari, of Lot 27 Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice, had been an aspiring lawyer. He was convicted for unlawfully killing Omesh Seelall, was had also been known as the “East Canje bad man”, by hitting him to the head with a piece of wood he had removed from an animal drawn cart.

The youths had been among others when an argument erupted between the two during a wedding house brawl. The accused reportedly grabbed a piece of wood from an animal-drawn cart and hit Seelall on the head, rendering him unconscious.

During the trial, Dhandhari told the court that Seelall was attacking him with a knife and he grabbed the wood to defend himself.

Seelall, a labourer, sustained injuries to his head, resulting in his death six days after he was hit.

Dhandhari told the court

tencing, when the probation report should be presented.

(Andrew Carmichael)

A

s part of its function to administer and enforce the provisions of the Consumer Affairs and Competition and FairTrading Act, a team of officers of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) on Thursday last kicked off its first leg of a countrywide compliance inspection activity in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The team started the Bartica exercise with a courtesy call and meeting with the town’s Mayor and Councillors, representatives of the business community and other stakeholders where the role of the Commission and its relevance was highlighted.

The Mayor and Council, as well as the representatives of the business community welcomed the visit from the Commission and pledged to encourage and advocate for the compliance of the Consumer Affairs and Competition Fair Trading Act. The Council and business representatives extended an invitation for the Competition Unit of the

Commission to make a presentation on the Competition and Fair Trading Act to the group.

During the three-day compliance exercise, the team checked to ensure that the provisions of the Consumer Affairs Act “Part IV -Duties of the Supplier” are adhered to.

Provisions examined include the adherence to the six-month warranty obligation, the need to issue receipts for all transactions, the return and refund policy, the non-display of signs which indicate no refund and exchanges.

Ninety-five per cent of the businesses in Bartica were found to be compliant with the Act. Those businesses were issued with “Certificates of Compliance, while those in contravention were given a notice of issues that they should correct and the CCAC will re-check within a month to ensure that they have become compliant.

The second phase of the CCAC’s compliance will move next to the Georgetown area.

GRA strengthens enforcement in Bartica

T Convicted: Davenand Dhandhari

that at the time of the incident he was scared, knowing Seelall’s reputation. He related that in 2014 Seelall had stabbed a man and was before the court for attempted murder. A few days before the incident, at another wedding, he had also been involved in a fight; and at the wedding house earlier that night, he had again been involved in a fight.

During the trial witnesses gave conflicting evidence as to what had transpired and what was left at the scene.

The dead man’s brother said he had seen a piece of wood and a knife, while grandmother of the accused said she had seen only a piece of wood. The prosecution’s chief witness said she had witnessed Dhandhari running towards Seelall and lashing him. She also testified that at the time Seelall had a knife.

Dead: Omesh Seelall

In his testimony, Dhandari admitted there had been some hostility between them prior to the incident of April 22, 2016. He said he had gone into a shop and seen Seelall drinking a beer, and Seelall had looked at him and said, “Look this fat anti-man.”

Dhandhari told the court he responded by saying, “You can only look, but you can’t do anything.”

After the jury had given its verdict, Dhandhari was heard wailing and saying the justice system is unfair.

At the time of the incident he was a secondary school student and has to sit his CAPE from behind the prison walls.

Meanwhile, Defence attorney Mursaline Bacchus asked for a probation report on the accused to be presented.

Justice Joann Barlow has set September 12 for sen-

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is in the process of relocating its office in Bartica to a more full-fledged location within the town, since it aims to improve the standards of taxpayers’ service and by extension, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, lead a group of tax officials on Thursday last to the site which is the proposed new location for the tax office at Fifth Avenue, Bartica. This is where the Authority intends to begin its operations officially as from November this year, and in addition, the new location will also include among other things, living quarters for some senior staff, allowing them to have less rental rates and other related expenses.

This move is in keeping with the agenda of strengthening tax compliance and enforcement activities countrywide, beginning with improvements of the existing Integrated Regional Tax Offices (IRTOs), together with the soon-tobe functional Mabaruma office. Existing IRTOs are located at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); Parika, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); New Amsterdam and Corriverton, in Berbice,

Commissioner General of GRA, Godfrey Statia and team in discussion with Region Seven REO, Roderick Edinboro along with staff

Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); Bartica; Region Seven; Lethem, in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); and Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

An initial assessment was done at the aforementioned locations and from this, it was determined that despite earlier efforts to provide a onestop-shop at these sites, improvements were necessary in terms of a more enabling environment for staff and building capacity for the benefit of taxpayers who would otherwise have to travel to Georgetown for some services. It was also discovered that in order to be effective, regional offices must not only be equipped to offer complete taxpayer services but also be able to conduct audits and investigations in relation to economic activities by individual and corporate taxpayers

in the said localities.

The GRA is of the view that this resourcefulness is very timely, in light of the attainment of Bartica’s township status back in 2016, and the continued anticipated growth in economic activities and revenue flows. The Bartica IRTO is currently located at First Avenue, where it had commenced operations in 2007 before it was declared an IRTO under the Integrated Regional Offices initiative in 2008.

Several meetings were held by the GRA’s team together with the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Roderick Edinboro, in which plans and strategies were outlined for the region. Additionally, a new office will be commissioned by the GRA in Mabaruma, Region One within a few months, which is the first of its kind in the region.

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TuesdAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Times journalists shine at GPA awards

Guyana Times Journalist Shemuel Fanfair

T

wo Guyana Times journalists were recipients of various awards as the Guyana Press Association hosted its second annual dinner and awards ceremony on Sunday evening at the Georgetown Club.

Shemuel Fanfair, who reports primarily on agriculture, political and legal issues received the second prize for young journalist of the year as well as the third

prize for the best political story. Meanwhile, Lakhram Bhagirat, who principally specialises in health, human rights, community issues and featuring writing, secured the third places prizes for the young journalist of the year category and for best coverage of human rights issues. Both winners are West Demerara natives.

The Young Journalist of the Year Award for which the two reporters secured second and third respectively required that entrants submit five stories of a consistently high quality.

Fanfair’s five entries ranged from a Wales father of four pleading for his severance pay to the social ills that abounded in Wakenaam owing to challenges in the rice industry.

Another delved into the challenges the Wales market vendors were facing following the Estate’s closure while the other related to a High Court civil matter which dealt with a miller indenting to pay rice farmers monthly installments of $20,000 even though almost $10 million in judgement and court costs were earlier awarded. Fanfair’s third

Guyana Times Journalist Lakhram Bhagirat

place winning political story focused on range of issues surrounding sugar workers not receiving their severance pay.

Bhagirat’s third place prize for best coverage for human rights stories focused on his in-depth reporting on the Mental Health Unit’s plans to roll out suicide surveillance system.

Therein, he reported that teachers would be trained to identify children with psy-

RCC to engage GPF on how to deal with child cases

chological trauma.

For his five entries that secured him the third-place prize for Young Journalist of the Year, the journalist work included the September 2017 report where parents of three-year-old Anisha Singh were calling for a probe into their daughter’s death. Bhagirat was one of the reporters, who went to the interior community of Chenapau and his story on the plight of miners being arrested for allegedly mining in protested areas was recognised. Additionally, he reported on Charity Market Vendors refusing to relocate and another story where a first-time mother recalled a horrifying experience at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Maternity

Ward. His final entry in this category concerned Berbice businessmen laying off sugar workers in preparation for the closure of the Rose Hall Estate.

Attorney at law, Nigel Hughes was the guest speaker at the media awards.

Giving brief remarks, he highlighted the importance of journalists in several sectors but especially in the political arena.

“You possess the unrivaled talent to shape the development of our country use it for this purpose rather than lend support to taking heads which are sometimes focused on making political points spreading doom and gloom without spreading alternative solutions and approaches,” Hughes implored.

Meanwhile, the president of the GPA, Nazima Raghubir observed that the 2018s ceremony was organised to give the much-needed credit and recognition for outstanding performances in media fraternity. She said too that work of journalists is key to holding members of civil and political society accountable.

Vanessa Braithwaite from the State newspaper emerged at the top awardee after copping a total of seven awards, including Young Journalist of the Year.

More than 30 journalist entered stories print, television and online categories.

There were more than 180 entries across 11 categories which exceeded last year’s ceremony.

Teachers strike

CPCE students, retired teachers on standby – Education Ministry

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he Education Ministry on Monday said it will be galvanising the support of retired teachers and students of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to fall into place in the event the strike action of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) continues into the commencement of the new school term on September 3.

Addressing parents and teachers in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Monday, the Department of Public Information quoted the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Marcel Hutson as saying that the contingen-

cy plan by the Ministry will ensure that the strike action by the GTU has minimal impact on the students.

According to the CEO, there are currently 204 continuing students, 98 prospective graduates and a number of final year students at the CPCE. Those, he said, will be utilised by the Ministry to fill the gap if the need arises.

There are also monitors, coordinators and retired teachers that “we will be tapping into” along with the parents to assist in the process, the CEO disclosed.

Hutson assured parents that they need not worry about the affairs of their

children should the GTU maintain its position on industrial action.

The Ministry is on a nationwide campaign to reach out to parents and teachers, recommitting the Government’s steadfast support to the education sector in the face of the current circumstance.

Education Minister Nicolette Henry reminded the teachers and parents of the talks that the Ministry has had with the GTU during this month to come to an agreement.

The Minister said schools will be opened on September 3 and urged parents to send their children out to school.

Teachers protest in...

CEO of the RCC, Amar Panday (right) along with executives flanked by the youth ambassadors

T

he Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) has announced it will be engaging the Guyana Police Force (GPF), as it relates to the how they should approach cases where children are involved.

Chief Executive Officer of the RCC, Amar Panday, indicated on Monday that professionalism in addressing these cases which require Police attention is one of the main focuses of the Commission. The first discussions are scheduled for today.

This comes at a time when a number of youths would have benefited from their youth camp and will be able to take up the responsibility of addressing these concerns.

Recently, the camp was held from August 2-6, which sought to equip the participants with the skills which can be used to empower other youths in their communities. Venturing into the Iwokrama region, work-

shops were also held with children of the hinterlands schools.

“The Rights of the Child Commission has a work programme.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we are engaging the Police in C Division (East Coast Demerara) and for the record, the RCC has engaged the Police in all the of the other divisions, focusing on what are the professional and psychosocial roles of Police Officers when handling children cases,” Panday stated.

Panday asserted that at this time, the youth ambassadors can be part of the discussions with ranks of the GPF and they can also give their opinions from a child’s perspective.

Emphasis will also be placed on championing the rights of children and providing the vulnerable ones with protection against abuse and other social issues.

One of the ambassadors of the youth camp sought

to point out on behalf of his colleagues, that safe spaces should also be created for children to report all incidences along with confidentiality and quick response from the Force.

“As it relates to the Police Officers and the way they treat these cases, we would like to see more confidentiality and faster response with their reaction reports and complaints and to have it be dealt with in a strict manner so that the public can gain their trust and to ensure that when these complaints are made, there would be strict actions.”

Meanwhile, the Investigative Officer of the RCC, Andre Gonsalves stated, “One of the things I would really like for the youth ambassadors to take on is lobbying and supporting their right to make a complaint, not just here but also at the UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) level.”

While the Government wants the yearly clothing allowance to remain at $8000, many teachers revealed that they have not received any such allowances since 2015.

The GTU is maintaining however, that they want an increase of 40 per cent.

Berbice

Meanwhile, teachers in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) say they will not back down from their strike action until Government gives them what they deserve. On Monday, the teachers picketed outside the Berbice High School where Education Minister Nicolette Henry was meeting with parents.

Chanting, “No money, no wuk” and “Teachers are important”, the teachers gathered and demonstrated.

At Fort Wellington, teachers protested in front of the Department of Education with a similar demonstration. Region Six GTU General Council representative, Paul Burnett, said teachers are the foundation of Guyana and they will ensure that their voices are heard.

“We are teachers and we are very import and we are

the foundation of Guyana and without education, our country would not be what it is today (Monday), and teachers must be applauded for that,” Burnett said.

Burnett added that teachers in Berbice are frustrated and tired of waiting for more than three years on the Education Ministry to come up with a tangible package for teachers.

Burnett noted that on Monday, some teachers turned up at the Department of Education in New Amsterdam and officials there refused to accept the keys for the respective schools.

However, some head teachers had reported that on Friday, they took keys belonging to their school to the Department of Education and the keys were accepted.

At the meeting at the Berbice High School, the Education Minister informed parents of what is the Government’s position as it relates to teachers’ salary increases and as she met with them inside, the teachers protested outside.

According to Burnette, the protesting teachers were hoping that the Minister would have met with them

From page 9

but she did not.

Linden

In Linden, the situation was no different as teachers from across Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) joined the strike action; a protest in support of calls by the GTU for an increase in salaries and other benefits was held in front of the Department of Education in the region.

Holding placards, the teachers marched from Central Mackenzie, thence to the vicinity of the Regional Department of Education and unto the Mackenzie bandstand as they sang “solidarity forever”. Regional GTU General Council representative, Ferdinand McLeod, who was part of the protest action continued calls in support of the salary increase and debunching monies on behalf of teachers.

McLeod said the protesting teachers were merely voicing their opinions and are willing to continue until desired results are obtained.

“It’s not that we don’t want to work. We work all the time. We mould everybody.

Why is it they don’t have respect for us?” he continued.

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

guyanatimesgy.com

17

Around the World

UN calls for Myanmar generals to be tried for Europe cannot depend genocide, blames Facebook for incitement on US for security –

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yanmar’s military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with “genocidal intent”, and the Commander-in-Chief and five Generals should be prosecuted for the gravest crimes under international law, United Nations investigators said.

A report by investigators was the first time the United Nations has explicitly called for Myanmar officials to face genocide charges over their campaign against the Rohingya, and is likely to deepen the country’s isolation.

The investigators called for the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar, subject its officials to targeted sanctions and set up an ad hoc tribu-

French President

Christopher Sidoti, Marzuki Darusman and Radhika Coomaraswamy, members of the Independent International Fact-finding Mission on Myanmar attends a news conference on the publication of their final written report at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, August 27, 2018

nal to try suspects or refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The report also could serve as a major catalyst for change in how the world’s big social media companies handle hate speech in parts of the world where they have limited direct presence but their platforms command huge influence.

The investigators sharply criticized Facebook, which has become Myanmar’s dominant social media network despite having no employees there, for letting its platform be used to incite violence and hatred.

Facebook responded on Monday by announcing it was blocking 20 Myanmar officials and organizations found by the UN panel to

have “committed or enabled serious human rights abuses”.

The company already acknowledged this month that it had been “too slow” to respond to incitement in Myanmar, following a Reuters investigative report into its failure to tackle rampant hate speech including calls for all Rohingya to be killed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Trump announces US-Mexico trade deal, setting stage for Nafta overhaul

D

onald Trump has said he will strike a new trade deal with Mexico while ripping up the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) and threatening a trade war with Canada.

“I’ll be terminating the existing deal and going into this deal,” the US president told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. “We’ll be starting negotiating with Canada relatively soon.

They want to negotiate very badly.”

He added: “One way or the other, we have a deal with Canada. It’ll either be a tariff on cars or it will be a negotiated deal. Frankly, a tariff on cars is a much easier way to go but perhaps the

Donald Trump puts the Mexican President, Enrique Peña Nieto, on speakerphone to announce a deal to replace Nafta at the White House on Monday

other would be much better for Canada.”

Trump also said it might be possible to make a deal involving all three countries, like the 24-year-old

Nafta pact, but that separate bilateral agreements are also a possibility.

However, any trade deal would have to first be approved by Congress,

government as well as this government’s track-record of incompetence,” said UNC chairman, David Lee. Lee said the party’s concerns have been raised due to the failure by Caracas to meet the payments for goods sent to the South American country in recent months.

“It is therefore unacceptable and irresponsible that over one year since these questions were first posed and over two years since goods were first shipped to Venezuela manufacturers

have not been adequately compensated,” he said.

But Energy Minister, Franklin Khan, told reporters that the gas agreement was reached after “months of negotiation, serious intervention, serious sharing of information and serious sharing of economic models, to come up with an appropriate gas price.

“It is no cheap gas. It is competitively priced gas and is obviously no secret Dragon deal,” Khan said, adding that Venezuela has

and time is running out.

Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto will soon leave office and there is no guarantee his successor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will agree to the same terms.

Nafta reduced most trade barriers between the US, Mexico and Canada.

But Trump and other critics say it encouraged US manufacturers to move south of the border to exploit lowwage Mexican labour.

With typical showmanship, the President invited reporters into the Oval Office, where he called Nieto by speakerphone, but aides had to offer the president their technical help.

“Hello?!” Trump said into the machine at one point.

France's President Emmanuel Macron

T

he European Union must stop depending on the United States for security and must now rely on its own military forces for protection, France's President Emmanuel Macron said.

In a speech to French ambassadors on Monday, Macron said he would put forward new proposals to the EU to boost security and that all European nations, including Russia, should be involved in discussions on defence cooperation.

"Europe cannot rely on the United States only for its security," he said. "It is up to us to meet our responsibilities and guarantee our security."

Since his election in May 2017, the 40-year-old leader has campaigned for a more integrated EU with a common defence budget and security doctrine.

During the speech, Macron said cooperation with Russia should occur on the condition that progress is made with Moscow on the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Paris is pushing for full

implementation of the 2015 Minsk peace agreement that was sponsored by France and Germany to settle the conflict in Ukraine, which has killed at least 10,000 people since 2014.

In November, EU countries launched an unprecedented programme of joint military investment aimed at confronting EU security challenges. Twenty-three of the 28-member states signed up to the plan.

Macron called on Europe to be "a trade and economic power" that defends its strategic interests and financial independence with tools that can fend off US extraterritorial sanctions.

"Multilateralism is going through a major crisis which collides with all our diplomatic activity, above all because of US policy," he said.

Macron also criticised US President Donald Trump's "aggressive" isolationism.

"The partner with whom Europe built the post-World War order appears to be turning its back on this shared history," the French president said. (Aljazeera)

Morocco shock at ‘Khadija T&T defends gas agreement with Venezuela brutal rape ordeal’

T

he Trinidad and Tobago Government has brushed aside criticisms relating to the new gas agreement it signed with Venezuela over the weekend, even as the main opposition United National Congress (UNC) called for the terms regarding the price of gas under the accord to be made public.

“We in the Opposition were always concerned with this agreement given the economic hardship being experienced by the Venezuelan

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

the largest oil reserves in the world, larger than Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States and has the fifth largest gas reserves in the world that Trinidad can benefit from.

“It’s a win-win situation, especially since we in Trinidad face challenges on the supply side,” he said, noting that Trinidad and Tobago has world-class gas infrastructure through which Venezuela can monetise its gas. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Barbados to boost sugar cane production

S

ugar production in Barbados must increase to meet the rum industry’s demands for local molasses and Agriculture Minister Indar Weir, outlined Government’s intention to address the situation with phased levels of increased sugar cane production over the next three to five years.

Speaking to the media while at the Foursquare Rum Distillery, he stated that there has already been a rise in the yield this year over that of 2017, with a similar picture to be painted in the next few years.

Disclosing that he has already been in talks with the sugar producers, he said various ways would be

looked at to increase local molasses production.

During the tour of the facility, Managing Director Richard Seale pointed out that while currently 8000 tonnes of molasses are produced by the sugar cane industry, 90 per cent of the molasses necessary for rum production has to be imported.

Outlining that the rum industry has a critical role to play in the Barbadian economy due to its high value added component, he underlined that it would not require as much foreign exchange for inputs as other sectors as long as the molasses production on the island went up. (Excerpt from Barbados Advocate)

M

oroccans are expressing shock on social media at the details given by a 17-yearold of her rape ordeal. In a TV interview last week, the young woman, being named as Khadija, said she was abducted by a gang in June, held for two months, sexually assaulted and tortured.

She also showed scars, cigarette burns and tattoos on her body, which she said were given to her by her captors. Many women in Morocco are the victims of violence, human rights groups say.

More than 20 per cent of Moroccan women have been sexually abused at least once in their lives, Morocco’s National Human Rights Council reported in 2015. In response to the TV interview, which has been posted on YouTube, thousands have signed an online petition calling for help for Khadija.

People are also us-

ing the hashtag #JusticePourKhadija to describe their disgust and horror and calling on the authorities to take action.

“I want justice for what they did to me,” she told Moroccan station Chouf TV, the Huffington Post reports.

“I tried to escape several times, but I was caught and beaten. They tortured me, they did not give me food or drink, and they did not even allow me to take a shower.”

Speaking with her head covered to disguise her identity, Khadija rolled up her sleeves to show multiple tattoos, including a swastika, that her captors had given her.

At least three suspects have been arrested in connection with the allegations, AFP news agency reports. In 2014, Morocco’s Parliament amended an article of the penal code that allowed rapists of underage girls to avoid prosecution by marrying their victims. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesdAY, august 28, 2018

ARCHIE

Take a moment to consider how you will influence oth(March 21- ers with your words or acApril 19) tions. Don’t let your emotions take charge when it comes to matters that can affect your status or reputation.

ARIES

A chance to improve your TAURUS life is heading your way.

(April 20- Don’t dismiss someone or May 20) something due to fear of failure. Give it your all and don’t look back.

dilbert

Think, plan and follow GEMINI Helping oth(May 21- through. ers will bring unexpected June 20) benefits. A personal pick-meup will lead to compliments and a social invitation.

Hone your skills. Pursue something that encourages (June 21- you to invest more time and July 22) money to get ahead. Consider your skills and attributes and use them strategically.

CANCER

Peanuts

You’ll be tempted to make LEO a change that hasn’t been (July 23- thought through. Don’t take Aug. 22) on what you cannot finish.

Bide your time and focus on personal improvements.

Don’t give up on your VIRGO dreams. Talk to experts to (Aug. 23find out what you need to do Sept. 22) to boost your efforts. Improve your skills, knowledge and qualifications.

Calvin and Hobbes

Speak kindly and be conLIBRA (Sept. 23- siderate of those under presOct. 23) sure. Dismiss negativity and offer a positive and uplifting message to improve the dynamics of important relationships.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY’S WORD – LOCOMOTION (LOCOMOTION: lo-kuh-MO-shun: The act of moving from one place to another.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Average mark 24 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 36 or more words in LOCOMOTION? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD – CONCUSSION cisco coco coin concuss conic conn conscious cousin

onion onus noon noun nuncio union unison scion

sinus sonic soon sunn icon incus

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Be more diverse in how SCORPIO you do things. There is al(Oct. 24ways a cheaper and more efNov. 22) ficient way to bring about change. Choose moderation and simplicity in all your pursuits.

solution for last published puzzle

Pay more attention to what’s going on at home.

Communication will help you understand what loved ones expect and what they are willing to give you in return. Romance is on the rise.

Don’t make excuses. If CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- something needs to be done, Jan. 19) get busy and put it behind you. Keeping up with your responsibilities will help clear the way for more pleasurable moments with loved ones.

It’s up to you to bring AQUARIUS about the changes you want (Jan. 20- to make. Check your financFeb. 19) es and budget wisely. Discuss your plans with your partner or anyone affected by the choices you make.

Connect with people you PISCES (Feb. 20- have worked with in the past, March 20) or start a joint venture with someone who complements you and the skills you have to offer.

19

tuesDAY, august 28, 2018 | guyanatimesGY.com

20

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

Selection for Windies teams…

– the process is on course

“W

hen a player reveals they are reading more, and that they are committed to self-motivation training and you have seen improved performances, that tells you that some our players are committing themselves to playing the best cricket for West Indies. Ideally, a selector wants a player that is a self-starter and while that mostly is not the case,” Chairman of Selectors, Courtney Browne, sees the process he and his team are employing, over time, will work towards the benefit of West Indies Cricket.

Browne also feels that what will help to drive more consistent performances from our players, is having a second tier of well-prepared players to put selection pressure on the incumbent players. However, this can only be achieved by having a well-organized Franchise system with pre-season and off-season programs to enhance and improve the standard of play and play-

ers within the region. This would complement the amount of cricket being played, in different formats, by increasing the quality of play by the pool of players that are available.

Starting September this year, West Indies will play India and Bangladesh away; they will return home to face England and India; the oneday team will participate in the Cricket World Cup, May to July next year and there are several other tours to come. That means the selectors will be under pressure to assemble the best units to represent in the different formats. Additionally, there will be World Cup for Under 19s in 2020 and the 2020 World Twenty20 Championship.

That is a lot of cricket and Browne and his team will have to ensure that each team has a fair chance to be competitive and win. Since the West Indies made its international debut as a Test playing nation in 1928, there is one issue that attracted

the most talk “selection” and today, nine decades later, that has not changed.

Browne is adamant that his team has the right approach to the process and with the approach presently being used, he thinks the performance of the teams will improve steadily.

We asked Browne, what were some of the thoughts that came to mind when he thinks of his role as the Chairman of Selectors for West Indies Cricket. We made him write them down, so we have evidence. It was a mix of adjectives and phrases – they include teamwork, challenging, getting the fans to understand the process, teaching and learning and rewarding.

As a follow up, we asked about the preparation and

you will find the process interesting. Browne emphasized “research.” He expanded by highlighting this as a process. The obvious thing to collect is current data on the players; however, an important part of the overall process includes History of players, Venues the players play on, teams the players play against, the tour the team/player is about to play in, Attitude of the player, Commitment, dedication and discipline and Fitness.

Those are just some of the key success factors for a player to get into a squad.

What Browne emphasized that ideally “a player is required to show consistent performances for at least a two-year period (ideally three) to be placed in the elite squad. And then the player is managed based

on the role they play in the team over time.

Browne likes the work he and his team does, similar to that of a Human Resource Manager as the process of selection and deselection is really one which looks at performances over a period and how the players adapt; and whether the team is able to win matches, series and looking ahead, World Cup and World Championship, where applicable.

The role of Chairman is one with a high volume of administrative work and this current team, led by Browne looks at: scheduling of selectors for all tournaments at the senior and age-group levels; periodic reports, evaluation and updates for all categories of players in keeping with contractual obligations, player issues with West Indies Players Association (WIPA); periodic updates to the Board of Directors and media appearances.

With the long list of tours to come for men and women, the Selection Panel is on the

Courtney Browne

road and with the Women’s World T20 Championship to come in November; the men’s team to tour India and Bangladesh before end of 2018; the pressure is on.

Browne, who is in St Vincent and the Grenadines for the West Indies Under 19 Championship. The tournament is a two-format event with the teams playing 3Day and 50-overs. Trinidad and Tobago won the 3Day version so far.

In part II of this series, Browne looks ahead to the CWC 2019 and we will have a look at how the panel will look to narrow a squad of 18 with less than 280 days to go. WINDIES Men qualified from a tournament in Zimbabwe in March this year.

94 clubs benefit from Foster/Beharry ball drive A

nother 23 cricket clubs in Berbice benefitted from donation of cricket balls as the Berbice Cricket Board wrapped up the distribution of over G$1.1M worth of white and red cricket balls to clubs in the ancient county.

The donation was a direct result of the effort of former Berbice Cricket Board President (BCB), Anil Beharry who raised the necessary funds to purchase the balls for the board.

The project was the brainchild of current BCB President, Hilbert Foster who on his election in February 2018, promised to assist every club in Berbice with at least one box of balls before the end of the year (2018). On April 29, 2018, Foster launched the project with a donation of cricket balls to 22 clubs at the cost of G$300,000. The final donation was done on Saturday August 18 at the Albion Sports Complex with eight clubs from Upper Corentyne, one from Lower Corentyne and fourteen from West Berbice being the latest recipients. The Upper Corentyne Cricket Association also received a box of cricket balls.

Foster at the simple presentation was full of praises for his longtime friend

Berbice Cricket Board President Hilbert Foster (left), Anil Beharry (right) and Robby Saywack (3rd from right) pose with representatives of some of the clubs with the donated cricket balls

Beharry who worked beyond the call of duty to make the project a huge success.

Foster, proudly announced that it was the first time that any cricket board in Guyana has ever undertaken such a massive project and that many more similar ones would be done in the future as great efforts are made to assist clubs to fulfill their mandates.

There are also plans on stream to assist clubs with white tee-shirts in another project and Foster urged the clubs to get organized in order to take advantage of the numerous opportunities.

Beharry, who served as BCB President from December 2014 to January 2016, stated that Berbice Cricket would always be close to his heart, despite now living in Georgetown due to work committment.

He stated that he was delighted to be of assistance to the Foster-led board because it was visionary, committed and enjoyed the confidence of almost every Berbician.

The veteran Cricket Administrator who also served as the Berbice Cricket Board Treasurer for over a decade, stated that

Berbice Cricket would have died a natural death if no new leadership was put in place.

Beharry praised the outstanding work of the Berbice Cricket Board since its election on February 18 and pledged his future support as he strongly believes that sport is a safe avenue for youths to be involved in.

Among the Clubs receiving balls were Blairmont, Achievers, D’Edward, Cotton Tree, Bush Lot United, Rising Star, Paradise, Bath, Rainbow Generation, Hopetown and Shieldstown.

Beharry would like to express gratitude to Surelan Sawh, Brian Chunilall, Noreen Gaskin, Friend of Berbice Cricket, Yasin Mohamed, Randall Patterson, Derrick Beharry, Yadram Bojh, Kalvin Sourah, Tribhowan Mohabir, Ian and Ryan Bhagwandin, Renrick Batson, Bobby and Pamela Kewlochand, R & M RebelsMathura, Gummel Mattai, Danny Somai, Faizal Jaffarally, Sharmila Muneshwar, Javed Raffik, Sean Devers, Bhim George, Jeffrey Somaroo, Jack Beharry, Vijai Dass, Leanna Bachan, Imran Saccoor,

Alan Mangru, Rakesh Sooppersaud, Nazim Hussain, Owen Humphrey and Surendra Hiralall for their contributions to the project.

Meanwhile, President Foster announced that long time sponsor of the BCB, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh is so impressed with the handling of his funds and sponsored programmes by the board that he is willing to discuss funding over a three years span. In response, the BCB promised to submit a comprehensive proposal to Dr Singh for the period 2019 to 2021.

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sports

Beaton believes IKU World Cup 2019 will be better I n a recent press conference held by Director Christopher Jones at the National Sports Commission (NSC), a large quantity of items were handed over to the Guyana Karate Federation’s (GKF’s) President Amir Khouri; and Guyana Times Sport had the pleasure of the presence of GKF Vice President Keith Beaton, current twotime silver medalist.

He achieved this feat by competing in the International Karate Daigaku World Cup 2018 held at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in Barbados from August 17-19.

Representing Guyana, Beaton competed in the male individual 40-49

Keith Beaton

Kumite, and team Kumite 40-49 alongside Malcolm Francis and Patrick Gurahoo. He secured two silver medals to his name.

Before the team had departed, Beaton, Guyana’s

sparring coach for the Guyana Shotakan Karate Club, practised five days a week for hours. He even added the weekends so he could be in tip-top shape for the tournament.

Entering the competition with confidence and with steady nerves, he fought to his heart’s content, and made his nation proud in coming home.

Asked if he would be competing again, Beaton said, “I will be; next year Guyana will be hosting the International Karate Daigaku World Cup 2019 in August somewhere around the 12th -15th, we‘ll be having a lot of preparations in hosting the Caribbean championships, which is

21

r e host4 0 0

sponsible for ing more than participants”.

Beaton w a s p o s i tive there would be an advantage with Guyana hosting the 2019 IKD World Cup, and believes the home crowd’s backing will give them the motivation needed to push and let the home team be successful.

Beaton later went on to state that he would be competing in the 84 kg division on September 30 at the Senior National Championships at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) and is encouraging everyone to come out and show the support.

Guinness Cage Street Ball C/ship…

Greatest showdown approaches

W

ith one of the biggest showdowns in the history of football quickly approaching its climax, the Haslington Market Tarmac is the place to be on Friday, August 31, as the Guinness Cage Street Ball Championships approach their final stages.

The wait has been long, and eager fans have dreamt of this moment when they would be able to see their favourite team make it to the finals.

As at August 24, fans were pumped, while some were at a loss for words, as the round of 16 and quarterfinal leg of the tournament concluded. With many good teams making in through the round of 16, such as Leopold Street, Ol Skool Ballers, Avocado Ballers and Sparta Boss, thrilling quarterfinal matches were promised.

Eventually, the quarterfinals concluded, and as expected, the Sparta Boss Team, Leopold Street, Broad Street and Uprising all secured a spot in the upcoming semi-finals. Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Coordinator of the Guinness Cage Street Ball Championship, Rawle Welch, mentioned having some favourite teams that he would like to make in to the championship round. Sparta Boss and Leopold Street were two of the teams desired, as they each carry a large fan base.

Welch said he would love for Sparta Boss to win. Even though they may not be in form, he wants them to play with all their heart, but the othppppppother teams must watch out for Leopold Street.

The contradiction comes when both teams will have to face each other in the semis this on Saturday at the Haslington Market Tarmac.

Part of the action in the ongoing Guinness Cage Street Ball Championships

If both teams were to be assessed statistically, based on their performance in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, one would say Sparta Boss has the advantage over Leopold Street. Sparta triumphed over Back Circle 1-0 in the round of 16; and over Avocado Ballers 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

Both goals were scored within the ninth minute of the game, and the teams were able to maintain a lead. Leopold, on the other, were matched up against Albouystown in the round of 16, at the end of the fulltime they were 1-1 which led to a penalty shootout in which they secured victory 2-1. In the quarterfinals, they were matched up against the experience of Ol Skool Ballers, and the game ended 0-0. Aagain a penalty shootout was the deciding factor, and they were victorious 1-0. With Leopold Street only being able to score penalties to secure victory and Sparta boss declaring their dominance

early in the match, the stats clearly speak for themselves.

Sparta must maintain their form to defeat Leopold Street, and if Leopold Street want to be victorious, they must play more offensively and be able to keep the lead.

Only the best will survive this heated battle to secure their space in the finals.

Among the entities in support of the cause are Banks DIH under its Guinness and Power Wine brands, Clarks footwear giants Chetsons, E- Networks Inc., KSM Investments, Yhip’s Bakery, Brass Aluminum & Cast Iron Foundry [BACIF], Ray’s Auto Sales, Insurance Brokers Guyana Limited [IGBL], Y.K. Investments, Trophy Stall, Express Shipping, Woodpecker Products, National Sports Commission, ‘C’ Division of the Guyana Police Force, Jai Signs & Auto Designs, Gaming Authority, Julius Variety Store, and C & C Prestigious Styles.

Windies Under-19 C/Ship…

Guyana wins to set up Windwards battle

K

imani Melius hit a commanding hundred to carry Windward Islands to a comfortable victory, but stunning defeats for the tournament front-running pair of Guyana and Barbados captured the headlines and set up an intriguing final round in the WINDIES Under-19 Championship on Monday.

In one of the two key matches however, Rivaldo Ramlogan was the pick of the

bowlers, as T&T set back the Guyanese bid for a fifth straight title with a four-wicket win.

At the Arnos Vale Sports Complex: Ramlogan grabbed 3-27 from 9.5 overs, as Guyana were bowled out for 116 in 37.5 overs.

Kevelon Anderson hit the top score of 42, but no other batsman reached 20, as the Guyanese batting failed to ignite.

No T&T batsman

distinguished himself, but they collectively inched their way past the target with 133 balls remaining.

Meanwhile, Melius, the highly-regarded WINDIES Under-19 batsman, anchored the Windwards’ batting with a boundary-studded 102 that paved the way for his side’s 93run victory over Canada in the sixth and penultimate round of the competition.

And in the other pivotal

match, a tidy all-round performance from former WINDIES Under-15 all-rounder Raewin Senior topped a destructive spell from Camarie Boyce to set up Jamaica for a sensational three-wicket victory over the Barbadians.

In the final round of matches on Wednesday, Windwards face Guyana at Arnos Vale, Leeward Islands meet Barbados at Park Hill and T&T tackle Jamaica at Sion Hill.

22 Johnson, GCA collaborate to bring One-Day Clinic W

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

clubs, and young batsmen and bowlers between the ages of 15 and 18. Johnson further explained, “I had approached an executive from the GCA about a year ago, but as I said, due to national team commitments, inclement weather and ground availability, the clinic was hampered from going ahead.

But now that the weather seems to be f a vourable and the kids are off of school, we have decided to go ahead with it. I hope to make it an annual even and reach out to a larger amount of clubs across Guyana”.

Leon Johnson

est Indies left-handed middle order batsman and Guyana Jaguars fourday captain, Leon Johnson, has joined forces with the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) to hold a one-day bowling clinic on August 30 from 9:00h to 15:00h.

Asked by Guyana Times Sport why he decided to be a major sponsor for the clinic, Johnson said,” It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, a form of giving back to clubs in the association that I’ve grown up playing in. when I was younger, I was given the same opportunities to learn and develop, so it’s only right that I give young talented players those same opportunities”.

The clinic is meant to target GCA- associated

Players are asked to dress in all white cricket suits, or track pants and a white top with no sleeves.

GCA-associated clubs are asked to make contact with the relevant superiors.

Johnson made his first class debut when he was called up to the national side in 2003-04 season. With a first class batting average of 32.62, Johnson was by no means an ordinary player. In the 2007-08 domestic season, he scored 427 runs from 6 matches at an average of 42.70 for Guyana in the Carib Beer Series.

He fell six runs short of his maiden first-class century on March 7, 2008

when he edged a wide delivery from off-spinner Shirley Clarke against Combined Campuses and Colleges.

The innings was his highest score of the season. Johnson is currently the Guyana Jaguars four-time four-day captain.

The promising signs were enough for the West Indies selectors to choose him for the ODI tri-series in Canada later that year. He impressed with a half-century in his second match.

He later earned a call-up to the Test squad to New Zealand.

Noble House Seafood 2nd Division…

Ali-Mohamed’s all-round performance steers GCC to victory

F

ormer Windies U-19 all-rounder Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed steered the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) to a landslide victory over the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) by a whopping innings and 177 runs on Sunday at Bourda.

Their two-day Noble House Seafoods second division match wrapped up just after tea on the final day. Batting first, DCC fell to a meagre 91 all out, with Daniel Mootoo (22), Alphius Bookie (17) and Garrick Persaud (17) offering no resistance as Ali-Mohammed bagged 5-24.

Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed

GCC then responded with a challenging total of 267-7 declared before AliMohamed played his strokefilled 105, which included 10 boundaries and 3 sixes.

He also had support from left-handed batsman Marlon Persaud, who hit four boundaries in his supporting roll of 56; Khemraj Jaikarran, 39, and Kennard Moonsammy, 28, added useful runs to the tally as Keanu Harry took 2-33.

Having being given a total, DCC were sent in to bat as their second innings progressed, but to no avail, even with resistance from

Harry who made 27, 21 from Mootoo and 16 from Bookie.

DCC still fell to 99 all out, with Chetram Persaud taking 3-15, Stephon Wilson 3-30 and Deonarine Seegobin 2-11, thus bowling them to an easy victory.

Hero CPL 2018…

Green replaces Malik for remainder of season

S

Chris Green celebrates with Imran Tahir

hoaib Malik will be returning to Pakistan to link up with his national team for a training camp ahead of the Asia Cup, as a result Chris Green will be staying on with the squad for the rest of the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Green originally joined the Amazon Warriors squad as cover for Cameron Delport but he will now stay with the team until the end of the tourmament.

Green has impressed for the Guyanese franchise so far in this year’s Hero CPL picking up five wickets with

an excellent economy rate of 6.5 runs per over. He also made an important contribution with the bat in the win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots where he made 25 not out.

The Amazon Warriors are currently fourth place in the Hero CPL standings with three wins from their first five matches.

The top four teams at the end of the group stage will make it into the knockout phase of the tournament with the final taking place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on 16 September.

BV defends home turf in 8th of May league

T

he place to have been on Saturday evening was the Beterverwagting (BV) playground as the BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement hosted the finals of their Emancipation Cohesion Football League.

The league has been heating up over the past few weeks, with many of the favorite teams slated to compete for not only cash and prizes, but also bragging rights on the final night.

The penultimate clash of the night saw two consistent teams going head to head for the third place trophy. The teams, from Mahaica and Tucville, put on an excellent encounter with a showcase of professionalism in ball control, communication and passing.

With the encounter already shortened to 80 minutes, both teams were fixed on being the first to score, knowing that it would present an advantage over their opponent.

Twenty one minutes into the game, and Leon Richardson connected the ball with the back of the net to give the Tucville team the lead.

Little did either side know Richardson’s goal was the winning, and that Mahaica would be unable to score despite their best efforts. The 1-0 result in Tucville’s favour mean that they would lift the third place trophy and walk away with the BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement/ Gladstone O Benjamin, Bronze Award

prize of $150,000.

The final matchup was truly fitting for the title, with a competitive 90 minutes of play. Both teams had gone through the tournament undefeated, and the clash was highly anticipated by the vibrant crowd.

Eastveldt seemed bent on upsetting the home team BV, and every player seemed to have lay down their lives for the right to be crowned champions. The passion, skill, strategy and teamwork were a beauty to behold, as both teams gave of their best on the day, taking the 90 minutes encounter into half time at 0-0.

On resumption, and just three minutes into the second half, Junior Alleyne made a desperate but smart move from the right wing to create an opening in Eastveldt’s defence, then immediately finish the play with a stunning right boot past the Eastveldt goal-keeper’s grasp. It seemed to bore the goal net, registering BV’s first goal of the match.

Alleyne’s goal threw the fans into a frenzy and catapulted the electric atmosphere to new heights for the remainder of the match.

The never say die approach of Eastveldt in its effort to create an equalizer and take the match into extra time was frustrated by the BV team; and their supporters, and subsequently in despair, Eastveldt seemingly folded

as BV’s Omari Glasgow, with 9 minutes of scheduled time remaining, showed what BV players are made of, when he “miloed” the goal net, to inadvertently declare BV, as the inaugural BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement/ Bakewell Gold Crown Champions, and the right to walk away with $350,000.

Eastveldt, having then suffered their only loss in the league, appeared to acknowledge their demise in the finals, to a team that played better football on the day, BV. Eastveldt received the BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement/ Lloyd WP Britton Silver Honour prize of $250,000.

In a fleet of special awards, Ian Dooker of BV walked away with the ‘doving skill’ prizeof $20,000 and a trophy after he defeated Mahaica’s Joseph Defreitas in the U20 skill exercise final.

The BV/Triumph 8th of May Movement later revealed that U20 players Trevon Adams (Mahaica), Ian Dooker and Omari Glasgow (BV) are the three beneficiaries of the Academic/Vocational Awards sponsored by Restoration Opportunities through Christ (ROC).

These awards are worth $180,000 each for the period September, 2018 to August 2019, at a value of $15,000 monthly, and are to assist in aiding the holistic development of the youngsters.

guyanatimesgy.com

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

23

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Warriors tackle the Patriots A

fter the tournament has already passed its halfway stage, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors

Premier League (CPL) continues.

Of course, the Warriors have faced a major blow after captain Shoaib Malik

Devon Thomas

face each other once again at the Warner Park in St Kitts, today as the Hero Caribbean

has departed for duties with the Pakistan Cricket Team.

Malik is among the top scor-

ers for Warriors with 119 runs, only the second batsman to pass the 100-run mark following 5 innings.

Without a doubt, the task may fall on the shoulders of Rayad Emrit who has led the Amazon Warriors before.

Head to head, Warriors and Patriots have battled six times, with the Guyanese winning four of those matches.

The Patriots are coming off a handsome six-wicket win in the last match against Barbados Tridents.

After Anton Devcich and Ben Cutting restricted the Tridents to a mere 147, the Patriots chased down the total with relative ease.

Although Mohammad Irfan starred with two wickets, conceding only one run in his four overs, a charge led by Brandon King and equally supported by Ben Cutting helped the Patriots to gain two points.

As for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, things were starkly opposite, as they lost by six wickets against St Lucia Stars.

Their batsmen tried hard but could not connect the ball sweetly. Things could never get going, as they ended up at 140 for nine.

Newly recruited Veerasammy Permaul then made some inroads, but those were not enough for the Warriors to get back in the match.

They would expect the opening pair of Chadwick

U19 Hockey Boys Camp concludes ‒ prep continues for 2020 Junior Pan Am C/ships

T

hirty-six young hockey players were fortunate enough to have participate a part of a developmental camp which would have sought to improve their skills and talents.

The two-week camp was conducted during the August holidays, because the participants are Under 19 and the time-off from school would ensure their commitment to this program.

The camp focused on the individual techniques required to execute skills such as elimination, defending, passing and receiving, two versus one, goal-keeping and penalty corners.

The two-week initiative was spearheaded by National Hockey Coach Robert Fernandes, who received assistance from Jamarj Assanah, a member of the senior National Team.

According to the coordinators, the camp is the first step towards identifying a group of players

Robert Fernandes

who will make up the national junior squad which is scheduled to commence training shortly for the 2020 Junior Pan American Championships.

Speaking on the talent they have witnessed, National Coach Fernandes noted that he is excited to continue working with the bunch for various reasons.

“I think the camp was

a great success. Although some of the players may not have the skills needed at the moment, those things can be learned.

“What I did see was an abundance of astonishing athleticism and internally motivated individuals who have exhibited a hunger to become exceptional; those are things you can’t teach people. This makes me very excited to work with this group over the next two years,” the coach said.

In an attempt to assess what was learnt during the two-week activity, the teenage participants were involved in a mini- tournament on the final day, and were later treated to lunch compliments of Antonio’s Grille.

The National Junior boys training team is scheduled to be selected in a short matter of time, the Junior Women’s programme is also scheduled to commence sometime in the near future.

Shoaib Malik (left) and Rayad Emrit

Walton and Luke Ronchi to fire, but after five innings, neither of the two has an aggregate over 90. Shimron Hetmyer has also been in silken touch, and the previous failure can be considered as a one-off.

With the ball, Veerasammy Permaul has given them a new hope, while Sohail Tanvir and Imran Tahir remain the front-runners.

As for the Patriots, Sandeep Lamichhane could not do well in the last match, and would be eager to bounce back. All-rounders Ben Cutting and Anton Devcich have been doing well with both bat and ball.

Skipper Chris Gayle and Brandon King too are expected to go big.

Expected playing XI St Kitts & Nevis Patriots- Chris Gayle (C), Evin Lewis, Devon

Thomas, Brandon King, Tom Cooper, Anton Devcich, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mahmudullah, Ben Cutting, Sheldon Cottrell, Carlos Brathwaite Guyana Amazon Warriors- Chadwick Walton, Luke Ronchi (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Cameron Delport, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Mohammed, Sohail Tanvir, Chris Green, Rayad Emrit, Keemo Paul, Imran Tahir

TuesdAY, august 28, 2018

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Hero Caribbean Premier League 2018…

Warriors tackle the Patriots Page 23

U19 Hockey Boys Camp concludes Page 23

‒ prep continues for 2020 Junior Pan Am C/ships Camp participants pose with National coach Robert Fernandes (in green shirt) upon conclusion of the Under 19 camp

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